This is how Atap controllers defend themselves from attacks on buses. A “secret” button to activate them

PORDENONE – Who will bother threaten, to insult or worse attack a conductorperhaps just because he is normally carrying out his job, from now on he will have a hard time. It will be filmed. And therefore stuck.

The Atap verifiersIndeed, they will wear special bibsequipped with bodycams similar to those of the American police. Small cameras “pocket” which will record the incorrect behavior of bus passengers and which will be activated if necessary by the controllers themselves.

Cameras at bus controllers

The turning point will take place starting today, as announced by the president of Atap, Narciso Gaspardo. In detail, there will be five bodycams in operation on buses in the Pordenone area, as many as there are currently controllers. A sixth device will remain in stock for now and will be available for possible replacements in the event of faults and malfunctions. Atap will be the first of the four local public transport companies incorporated by Tpl Fvg to make this type of device available to its controllers. And this happens, not only after long union negotiations explained separately, but also following a worrying series of attacks and threats against those who have to monitor for their job That the passengers everyone travels with a regular ticket. Too often victims of excesses, the controllers have reported on several occasions that they have ended up in the sights of gangs of young people. Everyone on board without a ticket and ready to threaten and attack when asked to show their travel document. But from today there is an additional weapon at Atap’s disposal. A device that will also be useful to the police in the event of actual crimes.

How bodycams work

The bodycam purchased by Atap and made available to the controllers will be activated by the verifiers themselves. In detail, in case of danger the company employee will press a small button and touch his chest.
At that point the device will activate, but will be able to retain the video recording up to two minutes before pressing the button in emergency cases. The technology will be hosted by the special jackets that the transport company verifiers will be equipped with. And the films can be shot both on board the buses of the urban lines and on the vehicles that make urban journeys in Pordenone.

In 2023 6 thousand fines for the absence of a ticket

The contract with the external company that supplied Pordenone’s Atap with more controllers has now expired. Five verifiers remain available. Last year the historic record was set in the province of Pordenone.
Also thanks to the help of the external company, in fact, over six thousand fines have been “removed” for the absence of tickets in the pockets of urban and interurban public transport passengers. The collection for Atap was the highest ever, equal to around 200 thousand euros in revenue only in terms of fines. Now the security system is enriched thanks to the latest generation cameras.

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