Having more eyes on the roads can help, but for carriers the challenge begins after detecting a vehicle or receiving an alert: how quickly can the authorities react and what happens to the information gathered .
Under this premise, the sector welcomes the C4 Highway Command Center , which will begin operations on September 1st . Announced by the federal government to strengthen the fight against cargo theft, this system includes the installation of more than three thousand cameras and 120 smart checkpoints on federal highways , among other measures.
Technology and optimistic announcements, however, do not dispel the sector’s doubts on their own. Carriers consulted by T21 acknowledge that the strategy can contribute to improved safety, but they highlight three key elements: responsiveness, coordination between authorities, and coverage .
According to Gerardo Aguilar, Security Manager of Grupo Express del Norte , the new scheme will first need to be given a chance and we will have to see how it works once it is operational.
“I believe that, like everything else, we have to give it a chance, to see what kind of actions will be implemented and to cooperate as transporters,” Aguilar explained.
He also believes the choice of the initial corridors is appropriate, as he asserted that they are among the routes most affected by insecurity. He cautioned that the next challenge will be anticipating a possible shift in crime patterns as surveillance increases.
“The challenge here will be to see how people react when all the arches and cameras begin to be installed, to see where the criminal gangs are going to move, so they must be prepared to know where they are going to move,” he said.
Seeing is not enough, we must react
This raises one of the main questions in the sector: not only detecting a theft, but also having the ability to act when it is happening .
According to Martín González Márquez, commercial manager of Transport Martin , installing more surveillance infrastructure loses effectiveness if the existing tools are not accompanied by a timely response.
“There are already many cameras installed, and they’ve never helped us. We give them truck locations, we give them everything, and it turns out a truck can go faster than a patrol car. So I don’t know why install more cameras if the ones we have aren’t being used properly,” he said.
González acknowledged that technological advancements in security systems are positive, but he believes the problem requires actions that go beyond devices.
In addition, he stated that they have noticed a reduction in robberies, although the problem persists.
Based on his experience on the road, he identified the following priority areas: Mexico-Puebla, Mexico-Queretaro, Mexico-Leon, Guadalajara-Leon and Guadalajara-Mexico through the Morelia area .
Coordination is another element that business leaders consider essential. Carlos Pérez Zavaleta, CEO of Transportes GLI-ZIM , described the announcement as positive, but maintained that greater participation from all three levels of government will be necessary to make it work.
He pointed particularly to the need to strengthen the connection between the National Guard, the Public Security Secretariat and the C4 centers of the different municipalities .
And when it comes to defining where to reinforce surveillance, his experience leads him to other points on the map: Cumbres de Maltrata, Huamantla, Cantona, and the Arco Norte . These are areas where, he believes, greater security and coordination between the Navy, the National Guard, and the Ministry of National Defense are needed.
The information must also be protected
But while the C4 Carretero system seeks to expand its surveillance of the roads, another concern arises among transport operators: what will happen to all the information that the system collects ?
A transport businessman who spoke to T21 on condition of anonymity warned about the risk that this data and images could be compromised or misused.
“The strategy seems appropriate, the risk we have is knowing whether the information concentrated there will not be compromised and whether that data and images will be misused, and whether we will have more risk than benefits.”
He pointed out the need for the cameras and arches not to remain solely in the announced corridors.
“The important thing is that we can continue to expand the coverage of cameras and arches beyond the announced corridors. It’s good that the highest-risk areas are being addressed, but the goal should be to cover the entire country with the aim of dismantling criminal gangs,” commented the transport businessman.
The C4 Road system will thus undergo its first test when it begins operating in September. For haulers, the number of cameras or gantry scanners will only be part of the equation ; the other part will be what happens after one of them detects a problem on the road.
Comment and follow us on LinkedIn: @Karina Quintero / @GrupoT21
