Taxi Driver Online

Interesting development, and when I saw the headline I assumed it was Councillor Daisy Blakemore banging the drum again, which she does actually do periodically, but not reported in the press, as far as I know.

Anyway, maybe this guy is just a maverick, and the motion simply won't pass.

And, predictably, there's a strong part of the motion pitching for public funding - who'd have expected that

But I think the cross-border point being made here in terms of the ineffectiveness of any local policy was one of the reasons CCTV wasn't mandated before, but that fact wasn't really made clear by Cllr Daisy Blakemore


Peterborough councillor calls for government to support CCTV installation in taxis

https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/new ... is-5425149

A Peterborough councillor is calling on the government to establish a national standard and provide funding support for CCTV installation in taxis.

Labour councillor Mohammed Jamil, who is Peterborough City Council's cabinet member for finance, will present a motion to a full council meeting on November 3.

The motion, to be seconded by Labour councillor Noreen Bi, calls upon the government to provide funding support to help taxi drivers and operators with the cost of installing and maintaining CCTV systems.

It also suggests writing to the Secretary of State for Transport and two local MPs, urging them to support the introduction of a nationally regulated standard for all licensed taxi and private hire vehicles across England and Wales.

"Some local authorities have made installation mandatory, others have left it voluntary, and some have prohibited it altogether," the motion states.

"These inconsistencies extend to data protection, storage, and access arrangements, resulting in confusion, inequality, and an uneven playing field across the trade.

"In Peterborough, this inconsistency is particularly evident.

"A significant number of vehicles operating within the city are licensed by neighbouring or even distant local authorities.

"This cross-border licensing means that, even if Peterborough City Council were to adopt a robust CCTV policy, it would apply only to locally licensed vehicles and not to those licensed elsewhere but operating freely within our boundaries."

It adds: "The government should explore mechanisms such as central funding, grant schemes, or tax relief to support the trade in meeting these requirements.

"A national procurement framework could also ensure uniformity of equipment and cost efficiency, while avoiding undue hardship on small businesses.

"This council believes that the establishment of a single, nationally regulated CCTV standard for all licensed taxi and private hire vehicles would deliver greater consistency, fairness, and public confidence across the industry.

"It would ensure that all passengers, regardless of where they travel, receive the same level of safeguarding and accountability."

All Peterborough councillors will debate and vote on the motion at the full council meeting on Wednesday.

The motion comes several months after independent Peterborough councillor Daisy Blakemore-Creedon created a petition to make CCTV mandatory in all licensed taxis and private hire vehicles in the UK.

At the time, she wrote: "CCTV can make a real difference. It deters bad behaviour, helps resolve disputes, and gives people more confidence to get home safely, especially late at night.

"Drivers deserve that security too, many work alone, often in vulnerable situations. This is a simple, sensible step that would make a big impact. I believe we owe it to each other to make every journey safer."

Peterborough Hackney carriage driver Jake Carter previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "If it was to be worked a bit differently where a council took the cost and allowed drivers more flexibility about when the CCTV could be switched on or off, then it might be something the drivers would consider.

"It should be sold as benefiting the drivers as much as benefiting the public."

Notably, in December last year Peterborough councillors voted to reject proposals which would have required CCTV cameras to be installed in all hackney carriage and private hire vehicles registered with Peterborough City Council.

It came after the vast majority of taxi drivers surveyed by the city council opposed the idea.

I recognise the name and he has been involved in many campaigns as regards the trade in Poshtown .

This is a labour councillor who has got involved in a lot of campaigning around racism and the taxi trade especially the locals who would love to have FREE cctv paid for by government or the council not out of their pockets. Essentially what he is campaigning for aligns with councillor daisy but for different reasons. He doesn't want x border vehicles not having to pay for CCTV if locals do.

He does have connections to the PH trade I believe

_________________
lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Taxi CCTV motion passed by Peterborough city councillors

https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/new ... rs-5429765

Peterborough city councillors have passed a motion calling on the government to provide funding support for CCTV installation in taxis.

The motion, put forward by Labour councillor Mohammed Jamil, suggested writing to the Secretary of State for Transport and two local MPs, urging them to support the introduction of a nationally regulated standard for all licensed taxi and private hire vehicles across England and Wales.

"Some local authorities have made installation mandatory, others have left it voluntary, and some have prohibited it altogether," the motion stated.

"These inconsistencies extend to data protection, storage, and access arrangements, resulting in confusion, inequality, and an uneven playing field across the trade."

The motion came several months after independent Peterborough councillor Daisy Blakemore-Creedon created a petition to make CCTV mandatory in all licensed taxis and private hire vehicles in the UK.

At a full council meeting on December 3, Cllr Blakemore-Creedon thanked Cllr Jamil for the motion but claimed she'd found a "loophole" in it.

"How is off-duty defined? Because what prevents a driver from claiming to be off-duty to avoid recording?" she said.

"Other than that, I completely support this motion and it's great that this motion is going forward."

Responding to this, Cllr Jamil said: "I give credit to Cllr Blakemore-Creedon for the work that she has done.

"She asked a question about off-duty status. The difference between all that is when you're off-duty, you're not a fee-paying passenger. That's the distinction between the two."

Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Wiggin expressed his group's support of the motion.

He said: "CCTV is not just about protecting vulnerable passengers and giving them peace of mind, but also protecting the drivers from verbal and physical abuse, fare dodgers and false accusations."

Independent councillor Amjad Iqbal also spoke in favour of the motion and insisted that financial support from the government was a must.

He told councillors: "Many drivers in Peterborough are self-employed and are already facing rising costs.

"Requiring mandatory CCTV installation without offering any support would place an additional and unnecessary financial burden on them."

Conservative member Cllr Steve Allen proposed the idea of having a reduced licence cost for taxis which have CCTV installed.

Labour council leader Shabina Qayyum re-emphasised the fact that one of her first priorities when taking over the administration earlier this year was safeguarding and the safety of young women and girls.

In December last year, Peterborough councillors voted to reject proposals which would have required CCTV cameras to be installed in all hackney carriage and private hire vehicles registered with Peterborough City Council.

Cllr Jamil's motion means the city council will now do the following:

Write to the Secretary of State for Transport, Andrew Pakes MP, and Sam Carling MP, urging them to support the introduction of a nationally regulated standard for all licensed taxi and private hire vehicles across England and Wales.

Request that the Department for Transport work in partnership with local authorities, the taxi and private hire trade, data protection experts, and relevant trade associations to develop and implement this national framework.

Emphasise that a consistent national approach will address the challenges of crossborder operation, ensuring that all licensed vehicles, regardless of where they are licensed, meet uniform safety and data protection standards.

Call upon the government to provide funding support, grants, or financial assistance to help drivers and operators with the cost of installing and maintaining CCTV systems, ensuring that safety improvements are implemented equitably across the trade.

Reaffirm Peterborough City Council’s commitment to advocating for fair, consistent, and evidence-based national regulation of the taxi and private hire sector, promoting both public safety and the sustainability of the profession.

Thanks for clearing that up

Councillor Daisy posted this on her Twitter account. Again, thanks for clearing that up

For what it's worth, she also posted this a couple of days ago. Which maybe overeggs what's going on a tad. But it's no doubt a lot to do with background political machinations, and that all-important funding

But here she's making it sound a bit more cut and dried than it actually is. I think

The big difference is that councillor Jamil represents the islamic community elders councillor daisy represents white women.

What councillor Jamil wants is for central government to fund a CCTV system which drivers can control to record only what is important to them she would like a CCTv system that records everything whilst the driver is on duty.

_________________
lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Good luck with that one.

_________________
IDFIMH