Taxi Driver Online

£10,000 scheme puts CCTV in taxis to improve safety

Taxis have been fitted with CCTV to keep an eye on passengers and drivers. The infra-red cameras, which monitor both the front and rear of the vehicle, also record sound. It is hoped it will make passengers feel safer, reduce crime and ensure drivers and their vehicles are treated respectfully.

Fifteen private hire vehicles in Uttlesford are the first in Essex to have CCTV fitted. They have been fitted across eight fleets in the district as part of a £10,000 scheme funded by the council Kevin Cordall, owner of Saffron Walden taxi firm Five Star, has all four vehicles in his fleet fitted with the cameras.

He said: “It’s fantastic for us. It’s going to cut down crime, reassure our lady passengers they’re safe, and it’s about our drivers’ safety as well. “All we’ve had so far is positive feedback from the public – especially mums of daughters travelling alone and businesspeople.

“I’ve been in this business for 35 years and have seen all sorts of things like people not wanting to pay, damage being caused and I’ve even known drivers to have knives pulled on them. This will hopefully stop all that and benefit everybody.”

The twin-headed camera begins to film as soon as the door of the taxi is opened and the recorded data can only be accessed by Uttlesford District Council through an encrypted key. The scheme is a joint venture for the Uttlesford Quality Taxi Partnership, which was established in 2009 to improve standards and is made up of the district council, police, fire and Uttlesford Licensed Operators and Drivers Association (ULODA),

Barry Drinkwater, ULODA chairman, said: “It's great that our leading taxi operators in and around Saffron Walden, Great Dunmow and Stansted Mountfitchet all appreciate the potential benefits.” Chief Inspector Alyson Wilson, from Essex Police, said she was strongly in favour of the initiative. While there is no specific scheme in Cambridge, there are a handful of taxis which have CCTV installed.

Any vehicle which has recording equipment must display a warning notice visible to passengers.

_________________
IDFIMH

you know it makes sence.