National Bus Company Installs Tracking Cameras on Buses

The National Bus Company (NBC) has announced the installation of telematics cameras across its fleet to monitor driver behaviour and passenger safety.

Anna Loague, chair of the NBC board, said the decision came directly in response to the volume of complaints the company had been receiving. The system will feed into a control centre where staff can monitor driving patterns and whether buses are carrying standees. This will work alongside a complaints hotline where commuters can report problems tied to specific routes.

“It’s in order to ensure that we have a better commuter experience and also the safety of our commuters on the road,” Loague said.

The company is also adding new buses, with most of the new units already on the road and operating on set schedules. Loague added that the additional buses are intended as a stopgap while the company awaits the arrival of electric buses expected later this year.

The issue of standees, however, extends beyond the National Bus Company and remains a concern across the wider public transportation sector.

CEO Chester Williams says the Department of Transport is stepping up targeted operations against buses found carrying standees across all operators.

“The law is clear that if you have a standee, the driver can be issued a ticket,” Williams said. “The ticket is going to cost you more than what the standee is going to pay.”

He said the ministry is counting on enforcement and fines to deter bus operators from allowing the practice to continue.