Taxi Driver Online

How to go almost a whole article while spectacularly missing the point

And note that I've used the word 'directors' in the thread title, as opposed to 'taxi drivers' in the press headline below


Bournemouth taxi drivers call to council for mandatory CCTV

https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/ ... tory-cctv/

CCTV IN taxis "really cannot come too soon", drivers say, calling on the council to make cameras mandatory in cabs.

Drivers have said they would “100 per cent” support CCTV being made mandatory by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) in a move that could act as a “deterrent” for crime and protect themselves and passengers alike.

If implemented, the policy would see the area join cities including Southampton, Portsmouth and Gosport that all require cabs to be fitted with cameras.

Kevin Holmes, 73, first became a taxi driver in 1992 and now works as one of the directors at Mobile Radio Cars.



He said: “Over the years, I’ve had quite a few incidents. As a cab driver, your safety is most important so you just say, ’go on, off you go, get out out of it, don’t pay me’ or whatever, ‘just get out the cab, I’m not interested in fighting you’.

“But CCTV is a deterrent against misbehaving in the taxi. As soon as they know they’re on camera, they tend to quieten down.

“I did have a knife held to my throat and I was robbed - that was the worst one - by two guys that were out on bail. We caught one of them, so he was put away for eight years for armed robbery.”

As well as for the safety of drivers, Kevin says it would be for the “protection of the customer” too.

He said: “We have had drivers badly beaten up. But, it’s also there for the protection of the customer, particularly young girls going home after a night out, it’s there for their protection as well.”

Directors for United Taxis Pete Vass and Richard Elsam said that they think CCTV would give passengers the “confidence to use cabs more regularly”. Their cars are all fitted with GPS tracking technology and a "limited number" have cameras.



Pete and Richard say that customers “rarely complain” about the cameras due to them becoming “the norm” in the likes of shopping centres and buses.

They said: “It acts as a deterrent to certain types of crime, including drug dealing and child exploitation, where taxis have been used to facilitate these offences. It also assists police with their investigations in certain situations, or where events may be disputed by insurance companies.

“Above all, it would protect both drivers from false accusations and passengers from rogue drivers. Something that dispassionately records the truth without human bias, really cannot come too soon.”

However, the council currently has no plans to implement the policy.

BCP cabinet member for customer, communications and culture, councillor Andy Martin said: “Our policy permits the installation of CCTV in all licensed vehicles in line with the Information Commission Office’s standard guidance and provides support on how vehicle licence holders can do so.

“There are currently no plans to make CCTV mandatory in licensed vehicles within Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole as there is insufficient evidence to support the need.

“We take all complaints regarding the behaviour of licenced drivers very seriously and where necessary this can result in the revocation of licences.”

Ah, gotcha

So what's the article all about, then?

I was half expecting a plea for funding from public money, which is often the case with articles like this

Or using this for a bit of marketing and PR on the back of recent stuff in the news nationally?

Or maybe they're just keen to get their photos in the paper

Here's an idea - since you're all running those circuits, why not make mandatory CCTV a condition of being on the circuit if you're so keen on the idea?

No, didn't think so