Long-distance buses that will be arrayed under Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Swift will be installed with dual dashboard cameras to monitor the on-road traffic behaviour of drivers.
One camera will face the front exterior of the bus, while the second will face the interior. The dash cameras would be procured using the ₹1-crore road-safety fund of the Transport Department, said Biju Prabhakar, Chairman and Managing Director, KSRTC. A total of 116 buses will be procured in the first phase to operate under KSRTC Swift
The decision gains relevance against the backdrop of critical video evidence gathered from the dash camera of a vehicle which was just behind a KSRTC bus allegedly driven in a “rash and negligent” manner, causing the death of two motorbike passengers in Palakkad earlier this week. The riders were caught in between the bus and a lorry, as the video which went viral shows.
GPS too
A senior official of the Transport department said the dash cameras would provide crucial evidence in case of accidents, including hit-and-run accidents. “GPS too has been made mandatory in public-transport vehicles and the revised deadline is set to end in March. Feeds from GPS can be relied on a real-time basis to monitor driving habits and to act as a deterrent against rash driving,” he said.
There have also been instances of footage from dash cameras coming to the rescue of drivers of bigger vehicles, when they were charged with ‘causing’ an accident.
FACT Additional General Manager Johnson C.J., who has been actively pursuing road safety issues in the State for the past two decades, said dash cameras were very economically priced nowadays, leading to many vehicles being fitted with them. “Buses need rear-view cameras too, to steer clear of danger that could lurk at ‘blind spots’. This is especially true of heavy vehicles, many of which have improper or missing rear-view mirrors.”
Mr. Johnson also sought steps to regulate the working hours of bus drivers to lessen driving fatigue, since many of them opt for double duty to get additional three days off every week. “I had recently sent an e-mail to the State Police Chief seeking stricter enforcement of rules, since road accidents are increasing, after a lull during the pandemic period. Attention should also be given to enforcing lane-discipline norms,” he said.
