Taxi Driver Online

Council exploring options to install CCTV in every Leeds taxi

https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds ... v-16707793

Leeds City Council admits there are privacy and data protection concerns about the plans which could prove to be expensive

You could soon be on camera every time you take a taxi trip in Leeds, as plans to install CCTV in every taxi and private hire vehicle in the city are being explored.

Leeds City Council wants to set up a working group to figure out whether setting up and maintaining CCTV equipment in all the city's taxis would be practical.

Under the current system, the council encourages drivers to install cameras in their vehicles and offers to subsidise the cost of installation (up to £250) but it cannot make them do it.

Leeds City Council states that mandatory CCTV systems introduced by other councils have had 'positive' results for drivers and passengers and that they could 'increase the level of reporting of sexual offences' in Leeds.

But the council also accepts there are privacy and data protection concerns and the scheme could be very expensive, as it may have to continue subsidising installations costs.

The plans are part of a wider project, which looks to align the taxi policies of all councils in West Yorkshire and York.

They want to set the same rules on CCTV in vehicles, driver training, previous convictions policies and vehicle specifications.

A council report states: "While only a small minority of licensing authorities have so far mandated all vehicles to be fitted with CCTV systems, the experience of those authorities that have has been positive for both passengers and drivers.

"In addition, the evidential benefits of CCTV may increase the level of reporting of sexual offences.

"According to the 2017 Crime Survey for England and Wales only 17 per cent of victims report their experiences to the police, 28 per cent of rape or sexual assault victims indicated that a fear they would not be believed as a factor in them not reporting the crime.

"The evidential benefits CCTV could provide are therefore an important factor when considering CCTV in vehicles.

"It is a requirement of data protection law that before implementing a proposal that is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of people, an impact assessment on the protection of personal data shall be carried out."

The council has been advised to carry out a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA), which can assess the potential benefits of installing CCTV for passengers and drivers and the associated privacy risks.

Plans to set up a working group to explore these CCTV plans are expected to be approved at a council meeting on Tuesday, August 13.

An online poll on the newspaper's website showed around 80% in favour of compulsory CCTV.

Not sure how accurate that might be. Such polls might be skewed by members of the trade, for example, but if that had been the case then the opposite result might have been expected. So suspect the poll does show huge *public* support for compulsory CCTV.

You don't say?


Nonsense.

_________________
IDFIMH

Five years before B&H went 100% mandatory CCTV I would say less than 1% of the trade supported that move. A few of the other 99% had privacy issues, but the vast majority had financial issues.

Six or seven years after mandatory CCTV was implemented I suspect less than 1% of drivers even think about it, let alone oppose it.

_________________
IDFIMH

Slightly surprised the reps here in Leeds are portrayed as fully supportive. But, of course, that might not necessarily represent the views of the grass roots.

And, as usual, if it's such a good idea then presumably there's nothing to stop them having CCTV systems as things stand - maybe it's the usual hope that if it's compulsory rather than voluntary then the council will provide some sort of financial support.

But you're right - while there's generally opposition to stuff like this, in time it'll just be accepted. People just don't like change.


Taxi associations back Leeds City Council plans for mandatory CCTV in cars

https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds ... y-16747770

Industry professionals say cameras would benefit public and drivers

Early plans to make CCTV mandatory in taxis have been welcomed by industry professionals.

It follows a meeting of Leeds City Council’s licensing committee this morning, where council members and officers said they would continue to look into the possibility of compulsory cameras in cars to help with public safety.

Driver representatives said they had supported the plans from the beginning, adding that CCTV would ensure the safety of drivers as much as the public.

Hackney carriage association’s Michael Utting said: “It’s for the benefit of the public and our drivers. We need to make sure the industry is safe.”

Gulam Nabi, head of the Eurocabs taxi association added that the measures would ensure the safety of drivers.

During the meeting, a council officer said: “To have a policy of compulsory CCTV brings all sorts of things into question, as to whether it would be desirable.

“We need to look at the areas of benefit of passenger safety and confidence and driver confidence.

“We would be interesting in terms of safety. The law is very clear around the information commissioner about what authorities need to do when making CCTV compulsory.

“All studies highlight that they are good for confidence and passenger safety – everyone broadly agrees that it is a good measure.

“It won’t prevent the worst cases. But it is one of those things that we could develop a policy quite quickly.”

The committee agreed to set up a working group to look into the issues and feasibility around the issue. A report is expected later in the year.

The problem with not mandating CCTV is that the good guys will have it, and the bad guys wont.

_________________
IDFIMH

Someone won't be happy


CCTV in Leeds taxis won't be made mandatory - due to privacy concerns

https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds ... e-17357778

Taxi drivers in Leeds will be encouraged to install CCTV - but Leeds City Council won't make it a mandatory requirement

Taxi and private hire drivers in Leeds have welcomed moves from Leeds City Council to encourage the installation of CCTV systems in their vehicles.

But the authority stopped short of suggesting CCTV should be mandatory, due to concerns around passenger and driver privacy.

The council’s licensing committee discussed a draft policy to regulate CCTV in taxi and private hire vehicles, which included cameras only running during journeys, with footage being saved to a hard drive for at least 31 days.

A council report added that CCTV was also welcomed by most drivers, as it helped keep them safe from attacks and “malicious accusations”.

Ghulam Nabi, head of the Eurocabs Hackney Cariage Association, said: “The industry is generally very supportive of this – it is something we were involved in and is something we support.

“It makes drivers feel safer – especially the ones working late at night. It protects us from malicious allegations, as well as if drivers are assaulted by passengers.

“In the present climate there is so much crime going on, so we are all supportive of this.”

During the meeting, a Leeds City Council officer said: “There was a consensus that voluntary CCTV gives reassurance to the public and to drivers as a whole.

“But there is a trade off between security – or the perception of security – and privacy.”

The officer told the meeting that the working group which came up with the draft policy was advised by the information commissioner’s office and the surveillance commissioner that authorities should not make CCTV in vehicles mandatory “unless strong evidence” is provided showing how this addresses safety risks.

He added: “Drivers, operators, associations are broadly in favour of CCTV and they feel safer. It’s a fact of life in 2019 that people are used to CCTV being in public spaces.

"On the whole, the licenced trade would be very supportive.

“We had strong advice that it’s important for the council to have a framework of suppliers in place to repair.”

A report by council officers into the plans stated: “The [working] group also heard that generally drivers, operators and associations were in favour of CCTV in vehicles, that drivers felt safer, and less likely to be the victim of violence or malicious allegations. Some drivers had reported getting increased bookings from customers after they had fitted CCTV.”

The draft policy states: “This policy encourages the use of CCTV in taxis and PHVs licensed by Leeds City Council, but does not make it a mandatory requirement for taxi and private hire vehicle to have CCTV, only for the CCTV equipment to meet the council’s requirements.

"The absence of CCTV in a taxi or private hire vehicle does not indicate that the owner of the vehicle has failed to pay attention to passenger or driver safety.”

The policy is set to go out to public consultation in the new year.

It's not the privacy issue that puts folks off, it's the cost.

I get that, but losing your license through false allegations has a vast cost, and deterring scumbags has a cost that we will never be able to assess.

_________________
IDFIMH

It can also make your insurance cheaper

Indeed.

The main insurer down here gives either 10 or 15% off, can't remember which, which in effect makes the CCTV free over a period.

But folks still moan about the price of CCTV.

_________________
IDFIMH

To be fair, if they weren't moaning about the price of CCTV they'd be moaning about something else