PMPML will install dash camera systems in 1,000 new CNG buses being added to the public transport fleet in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, creating a permanent video record to help determine the causes of crashes and support faster investigations.
Mahesh Awhad, chairman and managing director of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited, told Pudhari that the camera system would be prioritised for the new buses. The move comes as the transport undertaking operates nearly 2,000 regular and air-conditioned buses, none of which currently has an onboard dash camera system, according to the report.
The cameras are intended to record the road ahead of each bus and preserve footage if an accident occurs. The system is also designed to retain recordings if a camera is damaged or detached during an incident, Awhad said. The footage will be protected against tampering or deletion, allowing the administration to examine the circumstances surrounding a crash after the event.
PMPML expects the recordings to assist with legal procedures, accident inquiries and subsequent administrative action. Access to an objective record could help the undertaking distinguish between different factors involved in an incident, although the report does not provide details about the camera specifications, storage period, procurement cost or the number of buses that will receive the equipment first.
The system is also expected to provide information to PMPML’s control room, according to the report. This would connect incident recording with the transport administration’s operational response, while the preserved footage could be used to review bus movement and road conditions during an accident.
Awhad said the technology would serve a wider planning purpose beyond investigating individual crashes. Data collected through the system could help PMPML identify improvements required in its future traffic management arrangements. The report does not specify the delivery schedule for the 1,000 CNG buses or the date by which the dash cameras will become operational.
The camera plan therefore links the expansion of PMPML’s fleet with a new monitoring and evidence system. Its immediate implementation milestone is the arrival of the new CNG buses and the installation of the equipment in those vehicles, with further operational details yet to be announced.
