Passengers on Birmingham’s buses are being monitored by police using the latest spy technology to hack into the vehicles’ CCTV systems.
During a six-week operation, the Safer Travel police team have used transmitters to tap into the on-board CCTV systems of passing buses and then beam live images back to their unmarked police cars up to 500m away.
Using hand-held screens, the officers are able to watch what is happening on the bus and respond instantly if need be.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “The technology has already been successfully trialled in London as part of a wider scheme to make buses feel safer for all passengers.”
Buses for the twenty-first century
Buses are often seen as the poor relation of public transport, but that view is being challenged in London, where a combination of new technology and significant investment has seen a dramatic increase in bus passengers
The latest designs of bus are smoother and more comfortable and better in terms of emissions than those they replace.
Diesel electric hybrid buses are already in operation on London streets and a small fleet of fuel cell vehicles is currently being tested.
A new Routemaster bus is to be designed jointly by sports car maker Aston Martin and architect Norman Foster.
The Aston Martin-Foster design is for a zero-emissions vehicle, with solar panels built into a glass roof, full accessibility and, in keeping with the original Routemaster, warm lighting and wooden floors.
The other wining design by Alan Ponsford on behalf of vehicle manufacturer, Capoco (pictured below) features a Routemaster-style front engine and familiar styling, and has a low floor to allow easy access. The original Routemaster did not allow access for wheelchair users.
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