CCTV: YOUR SECURITY
CCTV COULD BE MADE MANDATORY IN COVENTRY TAXIS & PHVS AFTER TASK & FINISH INVESTIGATION
Currently in Coventry, CCTV is only on a voluntary basis, mandatory CCTV was considered before but it was not supported. However the city council said it is going to look again whether it should require taxis and PHVs to have CCTV as part of licensing requirements. It comes after taxi driver Abdul Wahab, 47, was jailed after he picked up a woman to take her home after a night out in the city. During the journey, he stopped the cab, got into the back of the car, and sexually assaulted her.
In January, he was sentenced to three years in jail and also placed on the Sex Offenders Register. A council communities and neigh- bourhoods scrutiny board paper has asked for a task and finish group on CCTV in taxis to be set-up. “Mandatory CCTV has been considered previously by way of a Cabinet Member report in 2022, where a 12-week consultation was undertaken, where 67.9% of respondents did not support the proposal,” the paper explains. “Voluntary CCTV is currently a
policy requirement. There are strict requirements in terms of data protection, and drivers have to register with the ICO as they are the ‘data controller’ The communities and neigh- bourhoods scrutiny board met on July 17 to discuss setting up the task and finish group to consider several factors re: mandatory use of CCTV including national legislation, guidance, current policy,
crime
data, local comparators, costs and anything else within the scope of the investigation.”
COLCHESTER TAXI AND PRIVATE HIRE DRIVERS WILL NOT BE FORCED TO INSTALL CCTV
Taxi and private hire drivers in Colchester will not be compelled to install CCTV cameras in their vehicles, despite calls from some councillors to make the requirement mandatory. The decision came during a Colchester City Council licensing committee meeting on July 23. Council papers reveal that the chairman and other committee members had previously expressed a desire for mandatory CCTV in all taxis. However, the council ultimately opted against enforcing the measure, citing significant financial implications. The initial bulk purchase of CCTV units alone was estimated at £542,400. Instead, the council has agreed to “encourage owners, operators, and drivers to fit CCTV,” while also providing guidance on correct usage as set by the Information
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Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Those who choose to install cameras will be urged to comply with all relevant regulations. Paul Donaghy, the council’s licensing, community safety, and safeguarding manager, explained the complexities of mandating CCTV. He stated that: “Mandating CCTV installation would cause a one-off and ongoing financial burden to the council.” Donaghy also highlighted that according to Local Government Association guidance, the use of CCTV and audio in taxis “must be proportionate to
the risk
presented.” He further elaborated on the need for justification, noting: “The main rationale for using audio recording is to pick up any inappropriate conversations between pas- sengers and drivers. For example, when they are carrying children.”
Donaghy stressed the importance of public confidence
in
surveillance systems, reiterating the ICO’s stance that such use must be “lawful, fair, transparent, and meets the other standards set in data protection law.” He added that the council would be “required to demonstrate that any new monitoring system’s implementation is designed with privacy by default and propor- tionate to the risks identified.” Councillor Jocelyn Law, responsible for communities and public protection, said: “I think it’s really important to prioritise the safety and welfare of our drivers and of the public, but to do that, we need to think about resources and all the implications of data and data ownership.” She also suggested that a public consultation on the matter would be beneficial.
AUGUST 2025 PHTM
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