- At last something is being done about safety on Cape
Town's crime-infested trains: a revolutionary "big brother" system
is being tested to spy on criminals preying on passengers in coaches.
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- The plan is to install vandal-proof electronic surveillance
cameras in coaches, linked by satellite to a control room, to keep an eye
on criminals so security staff can be alerted.
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- Cape Town is set to pioneer the camera system on commuter
trains in South Africa.
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- The Sunday Argus has established that a pilot project
involving the ground-breaking satellite technology has been launched to
test the feasibility of installing and operating these state-of-the-art
cameras on city trains to ensure the safety of commuters.
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- This was confirmed by Frank van der Velde, spokesperson
for Cape Town's roads and transport department, who said: "This technology
exists and the safety committee of the city has already been in talks with
the provincial and national transport authorities to investigate the possibility
of installing these special cameras on trains to combat crime.
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- "We will also be considering the installation of
such satellite remote-controlled closed-circuit cameras on an inner-city
bus service," he said.
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- The city already has a remote-controlled closed-circuit
camera system in the central business district and on Vanguard Drive, but
this system uses land-lines to link the cameras to a central control room.
The technology has now been perfected to use a satellite link to monitor
trains and other moving transport vehicles, such as buses.
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- A pilot project has been launched to test the feasibility
of installing and operating the satellite-linked cameras on city trains.
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- Cape Metrorail has recently faced a barrage of criticism
over the lack of safety on its trains. Commuters are taking the train operator
to the Constitutional Court to force it to secure the safety of passengers.
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- A Cape Metrorail spokesperson was not prepared to supply
information about the project, saying there was an agreement between concerned
parties not to reveal details.
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- Van der Velde said the satellite surveillance project
was one of many proposals to make public transport safer for commuters.
He said the city was also in the process of installing closed-circuit cameras
at many of the major intersections in Cape Town.
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- Closed-circuit cameras have been installed at the train,
taxi and station interchanges in Bellville, while electronic surveillance
systems are also being installed at the Joe Gqubi intersection in Stock
Road, Philippi.
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- "Our first priority is to address the fact that
the poor, because of historic reasons, are the furthest removed from their
work places. Therefore the city is targeting the Klipfontein transport
corridor as a priority development area," Van der Velde said.
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- "We are looking not only at rapid transport, but
also at subsidiary feeds from taxis, smaller buses, cycling paths, and
pedestrian walkways along the corridor to ensure the safety of commuters."
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