DEHRADUN: In wake of rising crime against women in public transport in Uttarakhand, the state women’s commission on Wednesday directed the state government to install CCTVs in around 1,300 buses.The commission wanted the government to take a cue from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana that have their public buses under surveillance. It cited the Union government’s directions after the Nirbhaya gangrape in Delhi that all states should equip public transport with cameras and GPS facilities.Sarojini Kaintura, said, “After field visits in rural parts of Uttarakhand and speaking with women from far-lying regions, a common suggestion was received to enhance surveillance in public transport. It is also significant to take up the move on priority because our state attracts a lot of tourists.”Arti Rawat, a student of HNB University in Srinagar, Pauri, said, “Last month a conductor behaved indecently with one of the girls travelling in a bus and the bus driver supported the conductor too. As there was no evidence to back us up, we had to let go of the incident. If CCTVs are installed in buses, it will be a big boon.”Uttarakahnd Transport Corporation (UTC) had installed GPS devices in 150 buses. However, the experiment fell flat after UTC failed to bear the cost of the devices, which were removed later on.A source in UTC told TOI, “Earlier, installation of GPS devices in buses on pilot basis didn’t work as per our expectations. There is a big cost factor. A single GPS device costs between Rs 10,000 and Rs 12,000 while a monthly recurring cost of a single device is around Rs 400.”

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