Taxi Driver Online

It's actually the 422GW I've got, X-ray, not the 322.

And as I recall it it's very similar to the 522 you've got, but with maybe an inferior lens and suchlike, as I recall it.

But think the 'connectivity' options will be the same, so might try dipping my toes in the water sometime

I'm looking at a front+interior dash cam.

Anyone placed the interior camera on the clear plastic partition instead of the windscreen?

(Don't know if this is any use, but drafted it the other night, but thought it best to read it through again in case of any errors, but just got round to it... )

Mr XX588, I'd guess what you suggest might not be possible, because I think rear-facing dashcams tend to have the lens mounted on the camera beside the main front-facing camera, thus it would be on the windscreen with the standard dashcam.

And that's certainly the way the two Nextbase rearcams work - it's just an additional unit that plugs into the main camera on your windscreen. It's the rearview and cabin view cameras along the top in the link below, which as the diagram suggests, just plug into the side of the standard dashcam itself (they look identical, but the focus is different - one is effectively a rear CCTV cam, while the other focuses on behind the vehicle and the field of view is a lot narrower than the cabin view camera, as can be seen from the illustrative photos:

https://nextbase.co.uk/accessories-parts/

The third rear-facing option is the ball-shaped one, and that's intended to be mounted on the rear window facing behind the car, so doesn't catch anything inside the car at all

And problem with that option is that it requires a (supplied) wire from the rear window, and this plugs into the dashcam on the windscreen, thus obviously not nearly so easy to install compared to the rear plug-in modules. But I'm not sure if that option could possibly used as a rear cam behind a partition - it certainly has a wide field of view, but it's intended to be on the back window pointing outside the car.

But, come to think of it, I suppose either of the two plug-in modules could be wired from a plastic partition instead of plugging directly into the dashcam, assuming an appropriate wire and connection is available

I've actually got one of those ball-style Nextbase rear window cams lying in a cupboard.

That was the one I initially used, but didn't like it, because even the closest of tailgaters looked like they were miles behind the car, presumably because of the wide-angle lens.

So I got the rear-view camera instead (not the cabin view camera), which as well as giving a reasonable view out of the back window (although obviously a tiny field of view out of the back compared to the ball-cam thingy actually mounted on the rear screen), also catches back-seat passengers to a degree. (But doesn't catch front seat passengers at all - the cabin view camera would be required for that.)

And obviously the small plug-in module easier to install in my new Octavia, rather than the wiring to the rear window that I had on my Passat

Apart from that, it's all quite straightforward, though

Anything to do with cabs/council regulations is seldom straightforward...

I can't use most Nextbase, as viewing screens aren't allowed. This could work -

https://viofouk.co.uk/product/a139-pro- ... -interior/

Interior cam rotates and the 1-metre cable should reach from the windscreen to the partition (if I run it straight back above the headliner).

Well that certainly narrows the field a bit (see what I did there? ), at least as far as standard dashcams are concerned

Was going to ask if 'viewing screens' meant forward-facing views, backward-facing, or both, but having looked at GCC's webpage, I'd guess it's any 'viewing screen' relating to a CCTV system - correct?

And would a standard front-facing dashcam count as a CCTV system as regards GCC's policy?

(...which relates to another thing I was thinking about after a quick skim read of GCC's policy )

Yes and yes.

There must not be viewing screens within the vehicle for the purposes of viewing captured images

For the purposes of this Policy, a CCTV system will include any electronic recording device attached to the inside of a taxi or private hire car having the technical capability to capture and retain visual images from inside or external to the vehicle.

I'm guessing the policy was maybe written with pure CCTV in mind but this definition catches any kind of dash-cam. And they want a £30 to authorise/approve. If I use an interior camera, I suspect I'd also have to be registered with the ICO.

But then again, anything to do with cabs/council regulations is seldom straightforward...

That's my interpretation of it as well, Mr XH588 - thus a standard dashcam isn't allowed in a Glasgow HC or PHV, and even a dashcam without a viewing screen is tightly regulated, because it's classed as a CCTV system

And I also agree that I doubt the policy was really intended to cover standard external dashcams, but reading it literally, it does

But I would never have guessed there are no Glasgow HCs nor PHVs without a standard dashcam; and that if there aren't any, that no-one has challenged the extent of the policy.

Pretty sure my Nextbase dashcam has a blank screen option (as I'd guess most others with a screen do), so I wonder if that would satisfy the rule?

https://citizen.glascc1-prd.gosshosted. ... ars-Policy

There absolutely are HCs/PHVs with dashcams and I daresay some with viewing screens. I'm not sure if turning off a screen complies or if 'there must not be viewing screens' means no screen at all.

TBH, I've found asking the council for clarity (about anything) just results in them parroting their website. They're totally clear about the £30 fee, however.

And the reason for that is?

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