Calls to put CCTV in all taxis

TAXIS in the borough could all be fitted with CCTV cameras in a crackdown on crime.

Rugby Hackney Owners Drivers Association (RHODA) has appealed to borough council licensing bosses to make it mandatory for taxis to carry recording equipment.

It would apply to both hackney carriages and private taxis and would cost between £500 and £1,000 to install in each car.

A few of the borough's taxis already have CCTV installed, but council chiefs want to see them in all 166 licensed cabs.

The Government's Department for Transport supports the use of CCTV in taxis, although has not yet made it compulsory.

A report to the borough council's licensing committee said: "Whilst CCTV can assist in the prevention of crime and disorder and can be a useful tool when investigating offences, the issue of making CCTV compulsory in licensed vehicles must be carefully considered.

"The public must have confidence surveillance is appropriate and proportionate. There must also be appropriate privacy safeguards about data protection.

"There is a risk images taken in a licensed hackney or private hire vehicle may be misused by drivers or operators."

It would be up to the taxi's owner to ensure the system used did not breach data protection laws, and signs would have to be put up informing passengers they were being recorded.

Where crimes were committed, police would have the power to seize and view CCTV footage as part of an investigation.

Audio recording would not be permitted as it is deemed to pose a greater risk where data protection laws are concerned.

A consultation on the proposal will now be launched, taking in the views of taxi drivers, the public, police and others before it goes ahead.

The report said: "The consultation exercise will provide the licensed trade with an opportunity to make their views known and will ensure that the whole process is fair and transparent."

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