New York City adds security cameras to buses

New York City's Metropolitan Transit Authority has plans to equip 341 of its buses with security camera surveillance in the next year. This news follows an unfortunate incident last month involving the assault of a city bus driver.

According to local news outlet NY1, each bus will be mounted with five cameras covering the vehicle's interior and one camera monitoring traffic straight ahead. The motion sensing cameras will begin recording as soon as passengers board the bus and will stop five minutes after the vehicle has been emptied.

"It will give drivers a sense of security, knowing that the entire time they're on the bus, there is a witness to all activity," Ed Kenny of NYCT Bus Operations, told the news source.

The current initiative is expected to be completed by the end of April 2012 at a cost of $10 million, according to NY1. But the MTA is also debating an expansion of the program, which would see an additional 1,100 buses outfitted with security cameras.

The MTA has a difficult task on its hands providing security and peace of mind to a large portion of the city's residents. According to 2010 statistics, several buses in the MTA fleet hosted a weekday average of more than 25,000 riders.

The decision to implement surveillance systems on public transit is a key first step to enhancing the safety of riders.

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