SECURITY STAKEOUT
TAXIS IN UTTLESFORD ARE FIRST IN COUNTY TO GET CCTV
Taxis in Uttlesford will be the first in Essex to be fitted with CCTV, ensuring greater safe- ty for passengers and drivers alike. The scheme, initially in 15 taxis and PHVs from eight fleets oper- ating in the district, sees video and audio equipment
the district.” Barry
Drinkwater,
Chairman of the Uttles- ford Licensed Oper- ators and Drivers’ Association, said: “‘We are very grateful to Essex County Council for
their generous installed
which monitors both the front and rear of the vehicle. It is a joint venture between Uttlesford Dis- trict Council, Essex Police, Essex Fire and Rescue and the Uttles- ford Licensed Oper- ators’ and Drivers’ Association, which work together as the Quality Taxi Partnership. Fund- ing for the scheme, totalling £10,000, was provided by Essex County Council. Cllr Robert Chambers, Uttlesford
funding – taxi drivers who have signed up to the scheme have not had to pay anything towards the purchase or installation of CCTV in their vehicles. “It’s great that our leading taxi operators in and around Saffron Walden, Great Dun- mow, and Stansted Mountfitchet all appre- ciate the potential benefits. One operator reported that
last District
Council Cabinet Mem- ber for Finance and Administration, is the council’s lead member for licensing matters. He told the Haverhill Echo: “This is an excellent example of partnership working that will bring a real difference to people in
weekend his new CCTV helped him not lose his fare when a group of passengers threatened to run off.” Chief Insp Alyson Wil- son, from Essex Police, said: “Essex Police is strongly in favour of this initiative, and we believe the benefits are potentially substantial for both drivers and passengers. “For the driver, CCTV provides a massive deterrent against the
risk of a passenger making off without paying his fare, or even of being robbed or assaulted. “In addition, CCTV provides and protects both drivers and pas- sengers from any mal- icious claims of inap- propriate or criminal behaviour.” Essex County Council- lor Tracey Chapman, Cabinet Member for Highways and Trans- portation, added: “Fol- lowing requests from taxi drivers in Uttles- ford, I am pleased that we have been able to financially contribute towards the installa- tion of CCTV cameras. The Uttlesford Quality Taxi Partnership is the first in the county to benefit from this fund- ing and I hope the installation will reas- sure drivers and passengers
about
their personal safety.” The Uttlesford Quality Taxi Partnership was set up in 2009 to help the relevant authori- ties, agencies and members of the trade work together more closely and improve standards.
CAMERA FUNDS PASS BRAINTREE CABBIES BY
Cabbies who have campaigned for CCTV are outraged they have been overlooked in favour of Uttlesford drivers. Braintree Taxi Associa- tion has pushed for cameras to be fitted in cabs following a num- ber of
late night
attacks. Uttlesford have been given £10,000 from Essex County Council to install CCTV in 15 cars.
Braintree Taxi Associa- tion was in talks with the county council and Braintree Council, but said the county coun- cil withdrew its offer of money because the association did not have a data protection manager. Chairman
John
Ahmed told the Hal- stead Gazette: “We were not told until after the deadline for fund- ing had passed that we had to nominate
one of members to manage the data. “Our drivers are very busy and all work, we were disappointed we were not given time to sort this out. “It is completely unfair on our drivers that Uttlesford
cabbies
have been given this funding and we were overlooked - especial- ly as we have been lobbying to get CCTV cameras for the past two years.”
LEICESTER DRIVERS OFFERED HELP WITH COST OF CCTV
Leicester drivers have been offered help with the cost of installing CCTV cameras which they say they need to protect them from vio- lent customers. Leicester City Council has told drivers who wish to buy security cameras that it will pay for their installation and then allow them to repay the money. Members of the RMT union have welcomed the council’s offer, which was made at its
annual general meet- ing in December. It comes after two city drivers were seriously assaulted and robbed - one at knifepoint - recently. Gurpal Singh Atwal, a hackney carriage driv- er and secretary of the RMT in Leicester, told the Leicester Mercury: “I would be happy to have CCTV in my car and I think a lot of driv- ers feel the same. “It would protect us in situations where some- one wants to cause trouble and it would collect good evidence for the police. “But members of the public would also know that if a driver ever did anythirig wrong the cameras would film evidence of that, too.” A basic CCTV unit and associated equipment costs about £600, driv- ers said. Kashmir Gill, who already has a £600 camera unit in his car, said: “I have heard peo- ple whispering to each other, ‘Don’t cause any trouble, there’s a cam- era in this car’. “I think a lot of drivers will choose to have cameras, especially after we have had these two attacks recently.”
PAGE 30
Leicester City Coun- cil’s licensing depart- ment allows drivers to fit CCTV cameras, with some conditions, such as the camera should start as soon as the car is started and that drivers should not be able to interfere with the recording. Also, footage can only be viewed by police or the council. A small number of cabs, both private hire and hackney car- riages, took part in a trial in Leicester of internal CCTV cam- eras ten years ago, however, their use did not become wide- spread. A number also fitted cameras with the help of the city council ear- lier this year. Piara Singh Clair, Leicester’s assistant city mayor,
told a
meeting of the RMT that the city council would pay for the units to be fitted and allow drivers to repay the cost gradually. Cllr Clair said: “We want to ensure the safety of drivers and customers.” A city council spokes- woman said the authority had not yet calculated the cost of installing cameras.
PHTM FEBRUARY 2012
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