DUSHANBE, May 8, 2014, Asia-Plus -- The second stage of the “Safe City” campaign will be launched in Dushanbe on May 12, according to the Dushanbe traffic police directorate.

“The second stager provides for installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at 51 crossroads on the streets adjacent to Central Republican Stadium, Qariyai Bolo Hospital, Textile Works, Sultoni Kabir Market, Sakhovat Market and Dushanbe Dairy,” an official source at the Dushanbe traffic police directorate told Asia-Plus in an interview.

During the first stage that was launched on October 31, 2013, CCTV cameras were installed at 21 crossroads, the source noted.

In all, 850 CCTV cameras were installed around the city during the first phase.

The last third stage of the campaign is expected to be launched at the end of this year.

“The CCTV cameras monitor the streets to prevent traffic violations and the number of traffic accidents has reduced in Dushanbe by 50 percent due to installation of these cameras,” the source added.

We will recall that Tajik Ministry of Finance and China’s Export-Import Bank (China Exim Bank) signed a loan agreement on implementation of the Safe City Project in Beijing on May 20, 2013.  The Safe City Project provides for installation of cameras across Dushanbe for round-the-clock monitoring of movement at all important locations such as crossroads, streets and squares.

An estimated budget for implementation of the project is 22 million USD, including a 20.9 million USD loan from China’s Exim Bank.  The loan is reportedly repayable within twenty years due to fines that will be paid by traffic offenders.

China''s Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd has installed the CCTV cameras in Dushanbe.