How do we ensure that each facet of our public transport system is safe not only for World Cup 2010 but in general day-to-day usage?
Gautrain is a project originally budgeted at R7 billion, and now estimated to be considerably more. The various urban renewal projects are costing millions of rands and requiring the support of a public transport infrastructure that will move the increasing South African population to and from its workplace. The taxi industry is undergoing a complete recapitalisation and the bus industry is looking at investing in bigger and better buses that will provide the sustainable transport we need. Likewise, the train sector has seen requests for information from SARCC (South African Rail Commuter Corporation) and MetroRail in an effort to provide the support for the movement of millions of people every day.
In this country we experience a peculiar set of circumstances in that there are factions who want to keep passengers for their particular sector of the transport industry, ensuring that victimisation, and in some cases knife incidents, keep people away from one mode of transport for another. Incidents such as vandalism, muggings, rape and murder seem to happen with regular occurrence, and it is for the security industry to offer solutions to the transport companies so that they can combat and ensure the safety of their passengers. However, until such time as the transport industry realises the need for mobile security solutions one has to ask how can we encourage more people to use public transport?
With the increasing volumes of road traffic and congestion through the use of private cars, the call to the public is to actively encourage lift clubs and to use public transport to reduce this congestion. Gautrain is expected to carry more than 100 000 passengers per day. How many of us will even consider using the Gautrain if lack of adequate security is an issue?
In London's recent terror incidents, we all saw the successes of a ruggedised mobile recording solution and the supporting vandal resistant cameras, in the release of the images of one of the bombers. The remainder of the bombers were captured on fixed street and railway station cameras enabling the identification and subsequent arrest of the other bombers. As a result we have seen a large increase in orders for the FleetVu systems from notable companies such as Stagecoach, The Go Ahead Group and Optare with recent orders approaching several thousand units. This successful mobile recording system is now available in southern Africa, distributed by Vision Catcher. FleetVu is an effective system combining an excellently designed hardware chassis with full approvals for shock, heat and vibration, with vandal resistant cameras and a means of getting the information off the system through 3G and GPRS or through wireless configurations. Resolution is at sufficient level and frame rate, to ensure that the images captured are clear and detailed enough to allow identification. Able to capture up to 16 cameras on one system at an effective frame rate and to network through DHCP, FleetVu can be readily used as an end to end solution on the trains. Simple communication will allow the system to supply snapshots or footage to an offsite monitoring location so that decisions and necessary action can be taken long before the train approaches the station.
We regularly hear of cash-in-transit vehicles and fleets of freight trucks being targeted by heist teams. Cash-in-transit vehicles have a section in which the money is kept, and this area usually has little ventilation resulting in high temperatures. The reverse situation is that the trailer sections of refrigerated freight fleets have a cool temperature, usually of around minus 5°. The FleetVu unit can operate in temperatures from -20° to approximately 70°. Ruggedised, small and discreet cameras can be mounted both inside and outside the vehicle with IP67 ratings (totally dustproof and immersion proof in water) with sensitivity down to 0,05 lux, and the power for each camera at less than 100 mA. The power is run internally from the FleetVu unit at 12 V, as are all other optional components such as keyboard, TFT monitor and communications to ensure effective grounding. The power management is taken care of internally from a 12 V, 17 V, 24 V or 110 V feed and ensures protection against over voltage, reverse-polarity and other possible mishaps.
Cash-in-transit vehicles normally run with fleet management systems that allow for reporting on location (latitude and longitude), speed, direction, and a number of other checks relaying back to the control room via SMS and/or other packaged information onto a mapping display. With FleetVu's ability to link through 3G, GPRS, Wireless LAN or by backing up through a pocket DVR and/or through a CD Writer, historical information is easily downloaded or transferred for relevant use. We can even provide two TFT screen feeds within the vehicle allowing the guards to monitor whichever cameras they choose; these TFT monitors are ruggedised in the same way as the DVR and cameras. The system has an optional fleet management module for measuring speed, braking and other tachographic information. This AMM package allows for full accident reconstruction with pre and post events for up to three months and the ability to build a full accident analysis and profile for investigators.
Applications of mobile security systems can be extended to aircrafts and ships. Wherever passengers are involved, it is important to ensure their safety from threats of heists and terrorism by taking the necessary precautions to deter such crimes with adequate security systems on board. With the impending influx of tourists in 2010 requiring public transport, it is imperative that mobile security systems become an integral part of public transport safety. You, as a fleet owner or transport company should surely like to have substantial savings in insurance premiums and the resultant savings in lives, which we know have been achieved by companies utilising mobile security systems.
© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd. | All Rights Reserved.
printer friendly version