In a bid to help commuters prepare better for their journey to work each day, a local television network has begun screening live early morning footage from new cameras installed at four major intersections in Phnom Penh, a network official said yesterday.
It was not immediately apparent yesterday, however, whether the footage from the new cameras would be recorded and saved in case police request it for their criminal investigations around the city.
Som Chhaya, deputy director-general at CTN, said yesterday that the four new traffic cameras had been set up at the intersection of Russian Boulevard and St 289, the intersection of Mao Tse Tung Boulevard and Monireth Boulevard, the intersection of Monivong Boulevard and Sihanouk Boulevard and the three-way intersection of St 154, Sisowath Quay and Sothearos Boulevard.
Mr Chhaya said the footage from the live cameras, shown at 7 am, would provide opportunities for commuters to plan ahead for their trip to the office.
“The number of vehicles has increased in Phnom Penh and at some locations there are traffic jams,” he said. “We can show the real traffic situation and [commuters] can see it before they go to work…and can select a street to travel on.”
Mr Chhaya also said that the camera could potentially be used by police investigating criminal behavior, but added that he did not know whether the footage from the cameras would be recorded and saved. Officials from Internet provider Ezecom, who partnered with CTN to set up the cameras, yesterday said they would be provide more details about their operation today.
Touch Naruth, Phnom Penh municipal police chief, said yesterday that he was aware of CTN’s cameras, but stressed that there was no agreement between CTN and the police about the footage.
“We don’t have cameras yet, these are CTN’s cameras and not security video cameras,” Mr Naruth said, adding that plans were afoot for City Hall to install its own surveillance security cameras.
Mr Naruth said he met with Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema last week to discuss the possibility of installing cameras and he was waiting for a decision.
“The municipality has planned to set up security cameras at important areas [around the capital] to help guarantee the safety of the public,” he said.
Municipal traffic police chief Heng Chantheary said yesterday that CTN’s new cameras would help improve the traffic situation in the capital, where traffic jams occur on the city’s major arteries most mornings.
