Safety and Security

ITS applications for safety and security include surveillance and monitoring systems for public passenger transport vehicles, bus and tram stops, taxi ranks and facilities - and associated car parks such as for Park & Ride. Associated facilities may also include ITS applications - such as real-time information signs, off-bus ticket machines and customer help points. They may be fitted with automatic systems that shut them down to prevent further damage in the event of vandalism.

Other facilities also need protection and / or security control which can be provided by automatic or manual systems – such as those designed to protect public transport vehicle operatives, including:

• 911 / mayday alert for public transport
• intrusion detection
• Public transport surveillance

CCTV is the primary form of ITS safety and security monitoring. CCTV camera technology is continually developing - delivering higher resolution with miniaturised components at lower cost. (See Safety & Security)

KEY PLAYERS/STAKEHOLDERS/ORGANISATIONS

Recording and storage of personal information is often governed by national standards organisations. In the UK the Office of the Information Commissioner issues a Good Practice Guide for those operating CCTV and other devices which view or record images of individuals.

International standards organisations role is key here. The ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) is the world standards organisation and that for Europe is the European Committee for Standardization (CEN - Comité Européen de Normalisation).

Industry trade bodies promote the interests of the companies that are active in the security systems market. In the UK for instance the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) is an active player.

THE ROAD NETWORK OPERATOR’S INTEREST AND ROLE

Co-ordination between the road network operator and the bus operator(s) in real-time is essential during incidents and emergencies. It is particularly important that there are good communications between control rooms. This not only leads to a greater likelihood that the incident will be resolved effectively but also makes it more likely that information emanating from different sources is consistent.

Shared use of CCTV between control rooms should be encouraged as it can help the controllers with the identification of incidents and their causes and the resolution of problems.

The Road Network Operator also has an interest to ensure that roadside public passenger transport security systems do not have a negative impact on the proper operation of the road network. (See Network Operations)