CCTV eye on school buses
Feb 4 2008 by Ben Guy, The Journal
SCHOOL buses in Northumberland are to be kitted out with CCTV cameras in a pilot project aimed at improving pupil safety.
The county council is to install the cameras on 40 of its buses in a project that will cost £70,000.
Richard Waters, head of transport for the council, said that the aim of the project – introduced successfully in other parts of the UK – was to improve behaviour and overall safety as well as offering reassurance to youngsters and their parents.
He said: “The cameras will be fitted on selected middle and high school routes. We have liaised with operators and schools will be consulted to determine where they could be of the greatest use.
“This is something that other councils have introduced very successfully and has been welcomed widely by operators.”
Mr Waters added that incidents on school buses were “not frequent” but that the cameras would serve as a deterrent to potential troublemakers.
He said: “The vast majority of students are well behaved. This is about deterring bad behaviour among a tiny minority of young people and letting them know any unruly activities will be recorded on camera.”
The cameras will be fixed to the buses, but the council plans to draft buses fitted with cameras on to routes where there are problems.
And there are plans to extend the scheme further in the future. A council spokesman added that strict child protection rules would be followed once the cameras were installed.
He added: “It is likely that operators bidding for school transport contracts in the future will be asked to supply on-board CCTV to widen the scheme.
“Only nominated senior officers with authorised operators will be able to download the footage for review.
“Footage can then be transferred to CD for use by nominated individuals in schools or enforcement agencies such as police or child protection. There are strict legal protocols to follow for both the council and transport operators which will be followed to the letter.”
The council is inviting tenders from suitably qualified contractors for the provision of the cameras.
Last November The Journal reported how experimental yellow buses in Durham, fitted with CCTV cameras and allocated seats for pupils, would not be extended after education bosses admitted the effect on pupil behaviour was “marginal”.
