Kerala government says CCTV cameras must be installed in buses in State by October 31

Kerala government orders installation of CCTV cameras in all transport buses by Oct. 31. Cameras must be placed at front & rear of each bus. Seat belts mandatory for drivers & passengers in front seat of heavy vehicles from Nov. 1. RTOs to examine if operational timings of buses cause accidents.

Transport buses, including those of the state-run Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) in Kerala, have to ensure CCTV cameras are installed inside them by October 31, the Kerala government said on October 19.

The cameras have to be installed at the front and rear of each bus, Kerala Transport Minister Antony Raju told reporters.

Mr. Raju said installation of the cameras would help to easily and quickly detect traffic rule violations inside and outside the bus.

The Minister said there was a delay in implementing this initiative due to the time taken for procuring cameras for the thousands of buses, including those of the KSRTC, plying in the State.

"In any case, the deadline of October 31 will not be extended. The cameras have to be installed in buses by then," he said.

Besides that, from November 1 onwards, all drivers and passengers seated in the front seat of heavy vehicles, including transport buses, have to mandatorily wear seat belts, the Minister said.

Responding to a query on the recent death of a couple whose two-wheeler got sandwiched between two private buses, the Minister said if the operational timings of buses were the cause for such incidents, the same would be looked into.