Body camera to counter physical violence against ticket inspectors in Hungary

Starting from September, ticket inspectors of MÁV Start are going to be equipped with body cameras to decrease physical violence against them. Most of the devices are going to be used on the lines of Mátészalka, Cegléd, Vác, and Esztergom because the majority of these incidents occur there, according to the announcement of MÁV (Hungarian State Railways).

Last year, there were 123 recorded insults against associates of the railway company, and this year, 48 have been reported so far. 32 of these were physical insults (hitting, kicking, scratching, pushing). One of them ended in an injury that took over eight days to heal. 

The ticket inspectors working on the line of Mátészalka have already got their cameras, MÁV reported. They have to wear them on their mobile printers to record all the incidents.

On this line, 19 associates have suffered from some kind of atrocity up until April this year.

The attackers can be imprisoned for 5 years if they behave violently with people managing public functions, according to the information of MTI (state news agency). 

The devices have already been tested during the ticket inspection with some volunteers. At the moment, eight cameras are being used by ticket inspector volunteers in several shifts. Based on the first experiences, the passengers became more cooperative on the lines in question. More body cameras are expected to be purchased by MÁV, and the ticket inspectors can use them from September in the agglomeration of Budapest and other lines all over the country. 

József Kerékgyártó, director of MÁV-Start Ltd., emphasised that

the company’s priority is the safety of passengers and associates. 

MÁV elaborated on a measure plan, and one of its elements is the supervision system with the cameras. Apart from the body cameras, there is going to be a campaign to draw public attention to the issue, and the immediate help of standby police officers and security guards is going to be ensured to counter the physical attacks against ticket inspectors. Thanks to these measures, the number of these incidents has somewhat decreased already since December 2018, MTI reports. 

Source: 444.hu index.hu