Plans for mandatory CCTV for taxis in Gloucestershire
It's hoped the measure will improve safety.
There are plans to make it mandatory for Gloucestershire taxis to have CCTVs.
Taxi drivers across the county could soon be required to have surveillance cameras for their safety and that of their passengers.
The Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards issued in 2020 state that the Government expects its recommendations to be implemented by district councils unless there is a compelling reason not to.
One of the recommendations yet to be considered by Tewkesbury Borough Council is to explore whether the installation of CCTV in vehicles would have either a positive or an adverse net effect on the safety of taxi and private hire vehicle users, including children or vulnerable adults.
The Department for Transport believes that CCTV can provide additional deterrence to prevent the potential risk to public safety and has an investigative value if there is an incident.
The DfT’s view is that “the use of CCTV can provide a safer environment for the benefit of taxi/private hire vehicle passengers and drivers”.
However, the standards also note that the imposition of a blanket requirement to attach CCTV as a condition to a licence is likely to give rise to fears about the proportionality of the approach and will require a strong justification and must be kept under regular review.
The report recognises that such a policy could impact on the privacy of the passenger and the driver.
And mandatory CCTV will have cost implications to the vehicle licence holder and introduce a responsibility to the council to be the data controller for all data captured.
Tewkesbury Borough Council’s licensing subcommittee is due to vote on Thursday (August 25) on whether the consultation goes ahead.
If it goes ahead, the consultation will be open for eight weeks from September 5 to October 30, 2022.