at all, let alone for their usual operator. In many cases, prosecutions and prison follows, when in truth, many of them have done nothing at all wrong.
FALSE ALLEGATIONS – GET SOME PROOF!
In reality, as much as an association or representative body can get involved after the fact, and try to support or defend drivers, if CCTV was in place, the result which we have seen hundreds of times already, is that the report leads to a review of the footage, and the charges being dropped, without the need for suspension, council committee meetings, appeals, third party involvements or anything else that creates anxiety, worry, financial ruin, and loss of freedom.
Many local authorities where they do have CCTV, whether vol- untary or mandatory, have seen a complete shift from it being a case of allegations being made against drivers, with a total switch to the majority of the reports being against passengers.
In-car CCTV has assisted police forces throughout the UK in gaining evidence in the event of troublesome passengers, or indeed to dismiss false allegations made against a driver. It has even identified murderers where the offender has left the scene with their hoods up, then ran across a road in front of a vehicle with CCTV installed, including external cameras, and this has then led to the offender being caught.
More recently of course, a union held a protest on the 6 October, regarding a driver from Brighton, accused of sexual assault. The council reviewed the data, which cleared the driver of any wrongdoing, but sadly his operator failed to act quickly enough to reactivate his access to their platform.
CCTV WORKS!
When the Statutory Standards came out last July, the topic of CCTV was refered to as: “All licensing authorities should consult to identify if there are local circumstances which indi- cate that the installation of CCTV in vehicles would have either a positive or an adverse net effect on the safety of taxi and PHV users, including children or vulnerable adults.”
This was pretty vague and left matters open for interpretation once again. As a result however, many local authorities have made the decision to move towards mandatory CCTV, with many trade members calling for it to be introduced too, as posted recently: “Bolton drivers call for CCTV”. Further, in the past in Milton Keynes drivers were campaigning for CCTV to be allowed, when in reality it was already allowed, it is simply internal recording dashcams that are not allowed, anywhere, as per UKGDPR/ICO regulations.
DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT CONSULTATION
As refered to above, there will very shortly be a new consulta- tion issued by the DfT on a new government guidance
NOVEMBER 2021 David Lawrie, Director NPHTA LET US BE YOUR VOICE! #Turningthetables
A UNIFIED TRADE IS A POWERFUL VOICE! NOW MORE THAN EVER WE NEED TO STAND TOGETHER!!
info@nphta.co.uk JOIN THE NPHTA NOW!
0161 280 2800 37
Once again, we ask you: trade members, association members, council officers, council committee members, PLEASE respond to this consultation, please let your thoughts and concerns be known. Without your opinions and current aware- ness of real-world taxi and private hire driving, it is impossible for decision makers to know, or understand how you feel!!
EFFECTS ON THE TRADE!
Next month we will be in a seminar with the Institute of Licensing, where we will be discussing and describing the effects these last two years have had on our industry and on you: the drivers, the operators, the “integral part of the public transport infrastructure” - the term used in most council and government documents when introducing the need to regulate our vehicles and drivers.
We know all about the effects of Covid and the lack of support for our industry. But then we get hit coming out the other side too; the fuel panic buying, the volume of drivers who have had no choice but to leave the industry and find other ways to pay their mortgages and feed their families, the road closures, the introduction of Clean Air Zones, the push for EVs and newer vehicles far sooner than the general public and the lack of charging points. But this will be my opportunity to express those concerns to the regulators on your behalf, so if you have any specific examples you would like me to use in my presentation, then please get in touch, send your stories to
info@nphta.co.uk or
info@phtm.co.uk, or both.
document, which is expected to include CCTV installation, and as above, tinted windows. Since we have raised these issues with the DfT, we can confirm that the commitment remains to consult this year.
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