82 PRIVATE HIRE AND TAXI MONTHLY
MAY 2009 SECURITY...
CCTV HELPING TO PREVENT TROUBLE IN BASINGSTOKE
Troublemakers become “church mice” when they are told that their taxi journey is being recorded, a leading cabbie has claimed. Terry Cooper, the out- going chairman of NPHA affiliated Bas- ingstoke
Hackney
Carriage Federation, said that a decision six months ago to allow taxis in Basingstoke to carry CCTV cameras and microphones has proved very successful - for those drivers who can afford it. The big problem is that many cabbies are strug- gling to get their hands on themoney they need to pay for the cameras. “We’ve run into a brick wall as far as any grant or funding being avail- able,” Mr Cooper told the Basingstoke and North Hants Gazette. As a result, he said that his taxi, and its £810 CCTV system, was one
of only three among the 55 cabs operating in Basingstoke currently carrying the cameras. Mr Cooper said that 99 per cent of his cus- tomers
are well
behaved but the cam- era equipment has made himfeel safer car- rying the tiny minority who are troublemakers. “Those rowdies who start
DURHAM MONITORING SAFETY OF PASSENGERS
PLAN FOR CCTV IN TAXIS IN THE EDINBURGH AREA
to give you
threats, they’re non- existent once you tell them they’re being recorded on sound and vision and that this can be presented in court,” he said. “It’s like a magic beam that turns them all into church mice.” The deterrent effect of the CCTV has meant that it has not been nec- essary for the police or Basingstoke and Deane Borough
licensing officers to access any of
Council the
footage recorded so far.
Taxi owner Jonathan McManus, of Mac’s Taxis, inside one of the cabs which has CCTV and video equipment. Photo courtesy of The Northern Echo
CCTV cameras have been installed in five taxis in an attempt to increase safety. The cameras have been fitted in vehicles belonging to Mac’s Taxis, in Durham City. The initiative also sees screens fitted in the back of front-seat head- rests,
screening
advertisements to pas- sengers. Installing the equip- ment costs £1,000 per car and the company fitting the cameras
hopes that a further five vehicles will become part of the project dur- ing the next six months. A company spokesman told the Northern Echo: “There have been a lot of people asking about it and we’ve had emails from people saying they like it. It makes people feel safer.” This is the first scheme to install CCTV cam- eras in taxis in Durham City. The feature has already been intro- duced in Newcastle.
Taxis are set to be fitted with CCTV cameras in a bid to improve drivers’ and passengers’ safety. A report on the move, prepared by inspectors at Lothian and Borders Police’s Taxi Examination Centre (TEC), is being considered by Edin- burgh, Midlothian and West Lothian councils. The footage would only be available to police and officials. West Lothian Council is expected to be the first to discuss the report, with an approved scheme likely to be brought in later this year.
It is expected
Edinburgh and Midloth- ian Councils will also draw up guidelines. Councillor Colin Keir, convener of the city council’s
committee,
regulatory told the
Edinburgh Evening News: “The people within the trade appear to be quite enthusiastic
about it and I think it could be a selling point to companies who can say there is an added safety feature in their cabs. Public safety is paramount and if we can do anything that gives a greater feeling of safety to the travelling public we are all for it.” The Midlothian Taxi Drivers’ Association has previously called for CCTV after incidents of
drivers being
punched, threatened, racially abused and their cars vandalised. It is expected that the cameras would lead to more people - both members of the public and taxi drivers - report- ing complaints or offences. Murray Fleming, of Cen- tral Radio Cabs, said: “It is something which I think most drivers feel would provide extra security for passengers, and for drivers.”
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