NEWARK, N.J. — With rail rider groups and civil liberties advocates raising privacy issues, New Jersey TRANSIT is ending its use of audio surveillance systems on some its light rail trains, reports ABC News.

"Customer safety remains our top priority and it was determined that removing the audio recording feature would not in any way compromise that standard," said an NJ TRANSIT official via email.

After news of the surveillance surfaced in April, Interim Executive Director Dennis Martin defended its use and said the agency was using whatever tools at its disposal to "deter criminal activity" and keep passengers safe, citing global terror attacks.

Earlier this month, NJ TRANSIT said it was keeping the audio tapes for 30 days before overwriting them. For the full story, click here.