An upgrade of closed-circuit television security cameras (CCTV) at the Horton St taxi rank and the Town Green will capture near real-time action for Port Macquarie Taxi Cabs and police.

Fibre optic cabling, being installed by local network provider TSN, will enable the faster coverage.

Until now, the service has had a significant time delay, making it difficult for authorities to identify trouble makers, Port Cabs office manager Dave Keeley said.

“Previously there was a delay from when an image was captured to when we received it back at the office,’’ Mr Keeley said. “But once these cameras are upgraded, it will mean virtual and real-time images and things can be dealt with immediately.

“This will also apply for cameras in our cabs.

“We can give actual footage to police to follow up with.”

Mid-North Coast Local Area Command crime manager Detective Inspector Michael Heap said Port’s police presence – virtual or otherwise – would be improved by the service.

“Any technology that assists in preventing crime and investigating crime would be of great assistance to police and the community,” he said.

The reason behind Port Cabs’ upgrade was to improve customer service, Mr Keeley said.

“We can accommodate [people waiting for a taxi] straight away, because it’s real-time images we are seeing,” he said.

TSN business development manager Rob Martin said the upgrade would better protect residents in public places.

The present system used broadband on a low bandwidth and captured fewer, poorer quality images less quickly than the new service.

“Fibre optic exceeds all these expectations,’’ he said.

The optic cable CCTV service would “give clear images and footage of incidents as required if police request them’’.

“Identifying offenders is then easy.’’

The service would be running by the end of the year.