An international survey* among public transport organizations reveals that operators worldwide are continuing to invest in leading edge security technology, with the majority interested in adopting more widespread use of real-time surveillance and advanced video analytics to better protect their passengers, equipment and installations.

The survey was conducted by UITP, the International Association of Public Transport, and Axis Communications, the world leader in network video.

97% of survey respondents have already installed security cameras. This indicates not only a very strong installed base but also that public transport operators are convinced of the baseline value that video surveillance offers their organizations.

The vast majority of respondents reported that video surveillance systems help increase the actual and perceived security among passengers and staff, as well as minimize, deter and manage various types of crime and vandalism.

The survey also revealed that public transport staff is generally very positive towards the use of video surveillance with more than 83% indicating positive or neutral reactions, especially when usage of the system is well communicated to staff. Some responders do not gather staff or passenger feedback, but from those that do, no responder reported a negative reaction from staff or passengers.

The use of video surveillance within public transport is no longer only a matter of incident evidence, even if the vast majority of respondents (86%) find this forensic element the most valuable concrete use. Real-time detection of incidents also scored highly in terms of potential value (72%), indicating this is a trend to come.

Already today, 42% of respondents can share live video with other parties such as police or other authorities, and 50+% plan on using real-time video surveillance in “rolling stock” (moving vehicles vs. just in static locations). This underlines the value of real-time video surveillance monitoring across all areas of a public transport system.

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