captain cab wrote:
All taxis in Manchester may have to fit CCTV cameras for passenger safety
Council chiefs believe the move would help reassure people using taxis in the city but cabbies warn extra cost will hit struggling industry
All taxis in Manchester could be forced to install CCTV cameras under a town hall campaign to improve passenger safety.
Council chiefs believe the move would help reassure people using cabs in the city, particularly on their way home from a night out.
But cabbies have warned the extra cost would put added pressure on an already struggling industry.
The council currently operates a voluntary CCTV scheme and gives drivers a list of recommended firms to use.
If the new proposal is agreed, the council would become Greater Manchester’s first authority to make cameras compulsory.
That could be extended to both black cabs and private hire cars, although it is understood hackney carriages are the prime focus.
Operators would need to pay for the cameras themselves.
Coun Nigel Murphy, executive member for neighbourhoods, said: “We are always looking at ways in which we can make people feel safer when they get home from nights out in the city centre.
“We are looking into measures including giving extra training to all drivers, as well as putting CCTV cameras in taxis.
“We’ve already set up a voluntary scheme enabling taxi operators to set up CCTV in their cars, and have provided an approved list of suppliers, but we will now look into whether installing cameras in all vehicles would make passengers feel safer.
“This idea is at a very early stage, and if we decided to go ahead with this we would of course need to ask drivers and members of the public for their views, as well as looking closely at what has happened in other cities that have introduced similar schemes.”
There are already a few authorities in other parts of the country also looking at such a move, including Edinburgh and Warrington. Rotherham is also considering the move in the wake of the town’s grooming scandal.
But Les Reid, who represents 70 Manchester black cab drivers, said: “The problem is the trade is under massive financial pressure.”
source: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... as-9673086
Council chiefs believe the move would help reassure people using taxis in the city but cabbies warn extra cost will hit struggling industry
All taxis in Manchester could be forced to install CCTV cameras under a town hall campaign to improve passenger safety.
Council chiefs believe the move would help reassure people using cabs in the city, particularly on their way home from a night out.
But cabbies have warned the extra cost would put added pressure on an already struggling industry.
The council currently operates a voluntary CCTV scheme and gives drivers a list of recommended firms to use.
If the new proposal is agreed, the council would become Greater Manchester’s first authority to make cameras compulsory.
That could be extended to both black cabs and private hire cars, although it is understood hackney carriages are the prime focus.
Operators would need to pay for the cameras themselves.
Coun Nigel Murphy, executive member for neighbourhoods, said: “We are always looking at ways in which we can make people feel safer when they get home from nights out in the city centre.
“We are looking into measures including giving extra training to all drivers, as well as putting CCTV cameras in taxis.
“We’ve already set up a voluntary scheme enabling taxi operators to set up CCTV in their cars, and have provided an approved list of suppliers, but we will now look into whether installing cameras in all vehicles would make passengers feel safer.
“This idea is at a very early stage, and if we decided to go ahead with this we would of course need to ask drivers and members of the public for their views, as well as looking closely at what has happened in other cities that have introduced similar schemes.”
There are already a few authorities in other parts of the country also looking at such a move, including Edinburgh and Warrington. Rotherham is also considering the move in the wake of the town’s grooming scandal.
But Les Reid, who represents 70 Manchester black cab drivers, said: “The problem is the trade is under massive financial pressure.”
source: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... as-9673086
Idiots ..................................fit it NOW
