Taxi Driver Online

'No' to strike

Strike action threatened by Oxford cab drivers over the introduction of CCTV cameras in their cars is unlikely, a driver’s union said last night. The move to introduce a pair of CCTV cameras into the back of all cabs has been rubber-stamped by Oxford City Council’s general purposes licensing committee.

The decision will mean all drivers taking up new licences will have until March to install cameras. Existing taxi drivers – both private hire and hackney cabs – will have until March 2015 to fit the £460 system. Taxi drivers will have to pay for the system, which is being introduced to improve driver and passenger safety.

Despite previous threats of strike action and a town hall demonstration held in March by the private hire drivers association over the cost and a belief customers would not welcome the cameras, private hire taxi firms backed the council.

Aaron Singh, manager of St Aldate’s firm 001, said: “It’s obviously an added fee on top of what drivers are already paying out at the moment, but in terms of safety it’s going to help keep drivers and passengers safe. “And if somebody accuses somebody of something it will provide some evidence when it’s one person’s word against another.” But he admitted: “I think there is a mixed feeling within the drivers.” He said none of the firm’s drivers wanted strike action.

Qasim Mohammed, of Royal Cars, said: “If the driver or the passenger gets injured it gives the police an easy lead to follow up.” Ghafoor Khan, chairman of the private hire drivers’ association, who in the past said 80 per cent of his union were against the cameras, declined to comment.

But some hackney cab drivers reacted with anger to the decision. Hackney cab owner and driver Bashir Ahmed, of Cowley, who has driven a cab for 22 years, said: “This has been forced on us without a proper consultation with the drivers. “Should your camera not be working you will be off the road.”

Gulzar Hussain, a hackney cab driver from Cowley, said: “We don’t need it. It’s a safe city, there’s no violence or fighting.” But City of Oxford Licensed Taxi Association secretary Alan Woodward said the CCTV system would protect drivers. He added: “Drivers won’t go on strike, I don’t think. They are all self employed – they would be shooting themselves in the foot.

“We’ve had quite a few false complaints against drivers and we feel we need to be armed with the correct tools to represent them when something like that happens. Some drivers were initially upset, but if you speak to the night-time drivers they say ‘I would feel safer with CCTV’. “We’ve negotiated that price down so that the council’s requirements of the system is reduced.”

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IDFIMH

A hackney rep that actually understands the issues that matter, and can see past the idiots who's only concern is the price.

What price is a f***ing knife in the neck, or a false sexual assault allegation?

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IDFIMH

Whilst I am in favour of CCTV what I disagree with is being forced to buy a specific system at a fixed price which could only be accessed by 'authorised' persons, either the council or police.

If I was buying CCTV I'd like to choose between the various systems and select one that fitted my requirements and budget, and if I was paying £460 you can be damn sure that I'd want to be able to access the footage. Of course if the council was paying then they can stick whatever system they want in, and I wouldn't be too bothered about not seeing the footage (I've nowt to hide).

I think a better solution would have been for the council to set requirements that the CCTV had to fulfill and then leave it to the owners to fit whatever system they wanted as long as it met those requirements. Those could be, must have two cameras, able to record sound as well as images, able to record in low light, have a minimum image resolution and FPS, etc.

I suspect that's the way most council will go, if they opt to make it compulsory.

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IDFIMH

sasha. This, I think is their reasoning.

As you do not have access to the Data, you do not need to register with the ICO under the terms of the Data Protection Act.

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Don't dream it ~ Be it.

Blimey guv'nor someone who knows a bit about Data Protection, a rarity in this trade.

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IDFIMH

Sussex: If you install CCTV in your Cab, you need to register with the ICO, if you want access to it's content. I think it's £35.00, which needs to be renewed every 3 years, but I'm not sure of the length of the renewal period.

If you don't and try to use CCTV footage in Court, it is you that will end up with the Fine, not the Scum you're trying to prosecute.

Oh: ~ Also, the CCTV footage may be inadmissible as evidence.

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Don't dream it ~ Be it.

The court will decide for itself if any evidence can be put before it, not the ICO.

If a CCTV shows an alleged incident, and a defendant is clearly shown doing something he shouldn't, then the court will allow it to be shown. The defence might well contest it, but it all boils down to the words 'in the interest of justice'.

I don't think I have ever come across a case, either on the web or in person, where a defendant has got off because the CCTV wasn't registered.

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IDFIMH

Strange....I dont think CCTV should be mandatory......but then think of the number of instances reported on TDO of drivers being attacked......and drivers being accused.........seems to me CCTV would clear a drivers reputation in no time.

As for it putting people off doing runners.......we've had 6 models on trial here for the past 6 months......I'll get the results at next months TOA meeting......I don't think there's been a single incident......one driver told me of 4 lads getting into his cab as soon as they saw a TV screen with their faces on (it was that type of model), they got out and into the next cab.

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

When I had a slightly larger cab than I do now, six right dodgy looking f***ers got in.

As soon as they saw the CCTV, those six right dodgy looking f***ers got straight out.

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IDFIMH