State bus conductors will have to wear body cams: Transport minister
Times of India | 4 September 2026
Kolkata: Conductors on buses run by all state transport undertakings (STUs) in West Bengal will have to wear body cameras, with the transport dept planning to use video footage to verify complaints of misconduct, particularly those involving women passengers.
The department is also strengthening its grievance-redressal system with dedicated helplines and control rooms linked to the central facility that tracks government buses in real time.
“The 24x7 grievance redressal will be linked with the central control room from where buses are tracked live. On the basis of the complaint, prosecution will be initiated after verifying the video captured in the bodycam,” Bengal transport minister Arjun Singh said on Thursday.
The move follows complaints from women passengers about buses allegedly skipping designated stops and instances of misbehaviour by conductors, the minister said.
“Ever since the govt has introduced free-bus rides for women of the state, we have been receiving complaints that buses are not stopping at the designated bus stops. Conductors often misbehave with women. We consider women Matri Shakti. Such behaviour will not be tolerated,” Singh said.
The bodycam footage is expected to provide an objective record when a complaint is lodged, allowing officials to establish what happened before taking action against transport staff.
Dedicated control rooms will operate during service hours across the STUs. Complaints requiring further intervention will be escalated to senior officials for speedy resolution.
“We have undertaken a series of initiatives to make public transport safer, more accessible, affordable, efficient and responsive to the needs of the people,” Singh said.
The department has simultaneously launched a drive to recover outstanding motor vehicle tax. According to the VAHAN database, 3,62,622 vehicles owe around Rs 1,589 crore, with authorities focusing particularly on persistent and high-value defaulters.
“All these defaulters must clear dues in one month,” the minister cautioned.
Road safety spending is also being stepped up. The government has sub-allotted Rs 4.35 crore to police authorities for road-safety measures, while an annual action plan involving Rs 76 crore has been sent to the finance department for concurrence after the chief minister’s approval.
Other measures include new and strengthened bus routes, regulation of e-rickshaws on national and state highways and expansion of interstate bus connectivity.