Turning Lahore into ‘smart city’: PSCA integrates PPIC3 with 300 CCTV cameras of PMTA

LAHORE: In an effort to turn Lahore into a ‘smart city’, the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) has integrated the Punjab Police Command, Control and Communication Centre (PPIC3) with 300 CCTV cameras of the Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMTA).

PSCA Chief Operating Officer (COO) DIG Muhammad Kamran Khan and PMTA General Manager (Operations) Uzair Shah inaugurated the camera integration during a ceremony held at the PSCA’s Headquarters here on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, DIG Kamran said that 300 CCTV cameras installed on the routes of PMTA feeder buses have been linked with the PSCA’s monitoring facility (PPIC3) in the first phase that would enable the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), among other things, to keep an eye on suspected activities in addition to improving investigation standards and securing the metropolis.

In the second phase, the DIG disclosed that over 1,000 CCTV cameras of the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) and over 300 cameras installed on Metro Bus routes and stops will be integrated with the authority. He said the integration of cameras will help the law enforcers during their investigations.

“The milestone development will enhance public safety and security in the city,” he said, adding that it’s recognized as an international best practice to integrate private cameras with the government’s monitoring system for efficient surveillance.

According to Kamran, the authority will also provide a disaster recovery facility to PMTA for data security. PMTA General Manager Uzair Shah expressed that the collaboration of both the institutions would prove beneficial for the public and they would continue this cooperation as a national cause.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022