GCC to Install CCTV-Enabled Bus Shelters at Six Locations in Tondiarpet

The Greater Chennai Corporation is setting up CCTV-enabled stainless-steel bus shelters at six locations across Tondiarpet to strengthen women's safety, with live feeds linked directly to its centralised control room.

The civic body is executing the project at a cost of ₹1.143 crore in Tondiarpet (Zone 4). Funding for the initiative is being drawn from MLA funds and the Chief Minister's Integrated Urban Transformation Mission (CMIUTM).

Each of the modern bus shelters will measure 9 metres by 3 metres and will be equipped with improved lighting, Wi-Fi access, and electric charging points, in addition to surveillance cameras.

The six selected sites include Erukkenchery High Road in Sharma Nagar and SIDCO Nagar Main Road in Ward 36, along with the Ashok Pillar at Vyasarpadi Bridge Junction in Ward 46. Three additional shelters are planned in Ward 37: S M Nagar Main Road at its junction with Central Avenue (west side), S M Nagar Main Road opposite the M K B Nagar Bus Stand, and the M K B Nagar-Central Avenue Junction.

An official from the corporation's Bus Route Roads department said the locations were identified based on the specific need for new shelters in the area. The initiative is being rolled out as a pilot project, with plans to expand it to other parts of Chennai depending on its performance.

Surveillance footage from the bus shelters will be monitored round the clock through the centralised control room, and officials stated that police will be alerted immediately whenever necessary. While local residents have welcomed the infrastructure upgrade, they noted that consistent long-term maintenance will be essential.