A city-wide video surveillance system will be in full operation in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, by October this year.

Security will constantly be monitored on buses and at other public places.

Guangzhou has more than 8,000 buses each of which have already installed the required three video cameras.

The cameras are fixed in the front, middle and rear of each bus, said Zhong Jianping, a senior official in Guangzhou.

The security department of Guangzhou is setting up a monitoring network linked to the headquarters of the municipal police station. Once this is completed, all incidents occurring on buses will be the responsibility of the police, Zhong said.

A female deputy of the Guangzhou People's Congress, Xu Ruoqing, proposed female only buses last year to curb sexual harassment.

The proposal was turned down by the Guangzhou transportation committee, and the installation of cameras was suggested by the committee in January this year.

"The cameras are not only to prevent sexual harassment, but also prevent all crimes on buses, including fights," Xian Weixiong, the director of committee said.

Buses are only a part of the monitoring system. A lot of other public places, such as railway stations, will also come under surveillance, he said.

As of now, more than 120,000 cameras have been installed at public places, 13,000 this year.

The Guangzhou government plans to install 130,000 more cameras. Even though some people are concerned about the violation of their privacy, most agree with the move.

(China Daily June 16, 2007)