Taxi Driver Online

Not sure if this is entirely a coincidence after yesterday's piece about Royal Cars in Oxford installing CCTV, but the articles are broadly similar. Not sure if there's any connection between the firms.

And like Royal Cars, Go Carz have also received some bad publicity about driver incidents, so this too may be partly a damage limitation exercise.

Of course, with the Telford CSE inquiry underway at the moment (as I recall it), the local trade is likely to be in the frame again in the forthcoming period.


Go Carz to encourage taxi drivers to install in-cab CCTV

https://www.shropshirelive.com/news/201 ... -cab-cctv/

A local taxi firm is in discussions with Telford and Wrekin Council to install in-cab CCTV cameras.

Taxi firm Go Carz is to work with Telford & Wrekin Council to allow drivers, licensed by Telford & Wrekin Council, to install cameras in their private hire vehicles.

Go Carz (Telford) approached the Council over the installation of CCTV systems, allowing drivers to install CCTV, with a view to enhancing safety for both fare paying passengers and licensed drivers.

The company says that it will encourage drivers who are licensed with Telford & Wrekin Council to start the voluntary installation of the cameras.

New laws on taxi drivers

Telford & Wrekin Council is actively lobbying the Government to change the law to implement national standards for all licensed drivers and vehicles in England & Wales.

Go Carz say they will support the Council in its bid to force the government to change the law.

Cllr Richard Overton said; “We are delighted that our licensing team will be working with Go Carz on to encourage their drivers licensed by Telford & Wrekin to install CCTV in their vehicles and that we can together start to progress this action to reassure passengers. We hope that other operators will also work with us on this project.

“We will look at whether any changes are needed to our licensing policy and conditions in relation to CCTV.

He added that the Government also needs to act: “We are doing our part – the Government must now do theirs as we and many others have been asking them to do for the last three years to change the law to bring in national standards.”

A National Standard for taxi drivers

Cindy Wilday of Go Carz said “We have long believed a National Standard for taxi drivers is the way forward. In addition, the option to install CCTV for drivers is, in our belief, beneficial for both driver’s and passenger’s assurance and safety and we are working with all councils with whom we hold Operator’s Licenses to encourage them to allow this. We are pleased that Telford & Wrekin have welcomed this initiative.”

“This is a great opportunity to work more closely with the Council to help us provide greater reassurance for drivers and passengers. This will add to our safeguarding policies we already have in place.

Royal Cars in Oxford also use cars plated by several different councils (as I recall it), but only Oxford City Council was mentioned yesterday, and there was no suggestion they would have to ask permission as such, as long as the complied with data protection laws etc.

More than three years later and now they're at the trial stage

And I wonder how the Go Carz encouragement has gone down with the 'driver-partners'?