Public bus serves as demo for new video equipment
ALBANY, GA. -- Big brother isn’t watching you, but the Albany Transit System is.
At least they are on one bus. The transit system is testing out new security video equipment on bus 605. Four cameras have been installed inside the bus so workers back at the station can see what’s going on inside and outside the bus. Workers can view all four cameras at the same time on the computer.
“It allows the operators to have a level of safety. It allows the passengers to be safe as well,” says Transit Director Dwain Cosby.
“Safety is a big issue in Albany, Georgia, so I think anything that would help with our safety issue on the buses and the transit system would be great for the city,” says Rotary Club Member Pete Pines.
If everything goes well with the demo, all 17 of Albany Transit’s buses will be fitted with the security cameras.
Security footage from the buses are loaded on a hard drive and viewed on a computer. Right now they can’t view live feed, but will in the coming months.
Transit Director Dwain Cosby says people are becoming increasingly aware of the cameras and acting on their best behavior. If there was an incident on the bus, the transit could send the video to proper authorities.
“We haven’t had any passenger incidents yet and we hope that it stays that way. But if we has some type of incident on that particular vehicle, then it would pick it up and we would use it accordingly,” says Cosby.
The security system also features a GPS device in case passengers need emergency assistance.
“By this time next year all of our vehicles will have that so each route that we have out there everybody, operators and passengers, will be in a very safe … very, very safe mode,” says Cosby.
Albany Transit is currently a month into the demo. After another month or two, cameras could be installed in all of the buses.
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