City Link recently initiated an integrated CCTV solution across its depots, and onboard its fleet of vehicles. Known as ‘Van Cam’, the mobile surveillance system secures parcels in transit via camera, recording and transmission technology supplied by Vista.
Handling over 350,000 parcels each day via a fleet of 2,500 vehicles across the UK, City Link approached Unique Integrated Security (UIS), to provide an integrated system capable of verifying and confirming all shipments placed upon and removed from a vehicle, along with a corresponding time and date, and GPS location. Russell Mannix, Head of Security & Compliance at City Link says: "We required a solution that would provide protection for delivery drivers through deterrent means. We reasoned that obtaining good quality CCTV images of any offenders in the event of a vehicle being attacked, stolen, or stolen from, would provide us with a very effective solution."
In association with UIS, City Link did a trial of several mobile CCTV systems. As a result of the trial, City Link’s management selected the Vista based solution to be integrated onboard 50 vans in its fleet.
Comprising IP66 rated, 540TV lines (colour/mono) resolution Vista VLS-CAM cameras on each van’s exterior, and a single Vista VLS-CAM camera covering the internal parcel and cab areas, recording via a four-channel VistaSmart Mobile DVR and Transmission System permits images to be transmitted via a 3G router – for monitoring at City Link’s central control room.
The high-resolution footage from the vehicles is used in a variety of ways; from security, to health and safety, as Russell Mannix adds: "The systems help us to quickly investigate and resolve any loss or claim issues. In addition to security and theft-deterrent benefits, from a health and safety point of view the ability to retrieve CCTV footage of any road traffic accident, vehicle damage, or employee accident, is invaluable for evidential purposes. So far, we have seen losses from vehicles fitted with the new CCTV systems drastically reduced."
After the initial installation of ‘Van Cams’ to 50 of the company’s vans, City Link plan to expand the initiative across their entire fleet.
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