Bulawayo installs street CCTV

THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) in partnership with Tendy Three Investments (TTI) has launched the first phase of a ground-breaking camera surveillance initiative on the city’s thoroughfares.

The installation started on Monday along Fife Street, kicking off a project aimed at enhancing public safety and improving parking management practices within the urban landscape.

BCC corporate communications manager, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu, said the project reflects the collaborative efforts between the municipality and TTI to realise efficient parking management solutions.

She said the primary objective of the camera surveillance system is to oversee the activities of parking marshals and enforcement teams as they carry out their responsibilities.

“In line with the parking management contract, Tendy Three Investments Parking Solutions has started the process of installing street cameras on various roads in the city,” said Mrs Mpofu.

“The cameras will be used for the parking management project, mainly to monitor the marshals and enforcement teams in the execution of their duties. These cameras are also meant to monitor movements in the parking management project area.”

Mrs Mpofu said the camera system will play a vital role in observing movements within the parking management project area, adding that the installation process is unfolding progressively.

She said the initial phase encompassing Fife Street up to Robert Mugabe Way was under focus and anticipated that the entire project area in the CBD will be covered with cameras.

Mrs Mpofu further elaborated on the project’s scope and potential impact on improving city operations. She highlighted the strategic importance of deploying surveillance technology to bolster enforcement mechanisms and ensure the seamless execution of parking control strategies.

By leveraging advanced monitoring capabilities, the local authority aims to foster a more secure and organised urban environment for residents and visitors alike.

The cameras will check the speed at which vehicles are travelling, monitor traffic violations at robots, conduct traffic counts by recording the number of vehicles passing through and record the areas surrounding the CCTV installations.

The move by the local authority comes at a time when the Government is also planning to set up security cameras in smart cities, starting with Harare, to curb crime and enhance the easy flow of traffic.

The initiative will be launched under the Smart Zimbabwe Master Plan, which will guide the country’s various smart cities initiatives.

A “Smart City” is one that uses information communication technologies to improve operational efficiency, share information with the public and provide quality services to improve citizens’ welfare.

The security cameras also referred to as public safety cameras can be used for detecting and deterring crimes and as such they safeguard members of the public against potential threats and also help manage emergency response during disasters.

The security cameras also assist in spotting anti-social behaviour and preventing vandalism as well as monitor city traffic flow on intersections and roadways thereby alerting officials to possible threats or incidents.

Government adopted the smart city concept, which is a global phenomenon, as part of the country’s modernisation drive.