Thanks to a federal grant through the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), OATS Transit is taking a major step forward in fleet safety by upgrading their long-standing onboard security cameras to a new real-time system from UTECH. Previously, camera footage could only be reviewed after an incident by physically removing and reviewing the camera card, but this new system allows OATS to monitor activity as it happens, no matter how remote the vehicle.
Due to budget constraints, OATS won’t be retrofitting their entire fleet immediately but they expect to have about one-third of their vehicles equipped by the end of the fiscal year, with all new vehicles receiving the technology going forward. As the system expands, these real-time cameras will help deter crime, enable faster emergency response by alerting law enforcement to threats, support drivers, and provide valuable footage for coaching and training to improve overall performance and safety.