IN THE NEWS
CCTV SET TO BECOME COMPULSORY FOR COLCHESTER TAXI DRIVERS
Plans for CCTV to become compulsory for every taxi in Colchester finally look set to be agreed after years of wrangling. Colchester Council wants to update its licensing policy to ensure every private hire vehicle has cameras in a bid to protect passengers and drivers alike. The idea was first mooted back in 2017 but concerns about the type of system to be used and fears over breaching pri- vacy laws had held things up. But council bosses have now come up
with a new draft pol- icy which they be- lieve will work. Under the new scheme, pictures should be recording at all times the car is in use but sound can only be captured when the driver decides and presses a panic button. This policy could be revised at a later date if the Informa- tion Commissioners Office updates their recommendation to say audio recording should be done at all times to allow context of potential disputes to be cap- tured. “The new guidelines
were agreed by the authority’s licensing committee at the end of January, and a three-month con- sultation will then begin. The policy would then have to be agreed at full council. A report ahead of the meeting said CCTV was crucial for public protection. “Licensed drivers are a valuable asset to the borough and their safety is a key concern,” it said. “This concern must be considered along- side the overriding objective in taxi and private hire - licens- ing of the safety of
the travelling public. “No other licensing regime puts an indi- vidual in such com- plete control of members of the public and that once the door closes the driver is alone with people they have no prior knowledge of their character or propensity to vio- lence. “The introduction of CCTV will provide a safer environment for both drivers and passengers.” Many cab drivers already have CCTV in their cabs but concerns had been raised about the cost of putting in a
system which meets council guidelines. The council says the cost of installation can be claimed as a business expense through HMRC and they are investigat- ing match funding to help offset the expense. If the new policy is agreed, new licences will only be granted to drivers if they have a camera system installed which meets council re-quirements. Existing drivers will have to
have it
installed by the time of their next renewal. Mmmm… This coun-
cil ticks all the boxes as regards their consideration of the CCTV issue: time spent in deliberation and consideration of the matter; empha- sis on driver safety as well as that of passengers; consid- eration of the balance between visual and audio, and most certainly the financial impli- cations to the vehicle owner. Col- chester recognises the fact that CCTV is a must – it’s a case of how to go about it, which will be tackled during their consultation period. – Ed.
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