Taxi Drivers Express Apprehension Ahead of Vehicle CCTV Vote

A federation reported that taxi drivers felt apprehensive in anticipation of an upcoming council vote concerning the implementation of CCTV systems within their vehicles. In September, the licensing committee of Peterborough City Council had previously voted to mandate the installation of cameras in all taxis, citing the safety of both passengers and drivers as the rationale. Ali Haider, representing the Peterborough Taxi Hire Federation, characterized this measure as an “intrusion of privacy” and predicted it would impose “a financial burden” on drivers. The ultimate decision was advised to be subjected to a vote by the full council, scheduled for Wednesday. If approved, this policy would require over 100 operators and 1,800 taxi drivers throughout Peterborough to adopt the regulations within 18 months. This policy was initially proposed in 2022, followed by a consultation period conducted by the council between November of last year and February. The consultation garnered over 600 responses, with 288 originating from individuals within the taxi industry. Among the concerns articulated by taxi drivers were the expenses associated with CCTV installation and apprehensions that it might “undermine client confidentiality”. Conversely, some responses were more favorable, notably from passengers who expressed feeling “vulnerable” while using taxis. Nawab Khan, chairman of the Peterborough Private Hire Association, stated: “We are happy with the voluntary take-up of the CCTV but are against the mandatory rule. “If it was introduced nationally we would oblige but find it unfair that only Peterborough is being made to follow this rule.”They [taxi drivers] are apprehensive about what will happen. “But they are looking at other options or maybe moving to another licensing authority that doesn’t operate the CCTV rule if it goes ahead.”