A Peterborough city councillor is urging the government to create a national framework and provide funding for installing CCTV in taxis.
Labour cabinet member for finance Mohammed Jamil will present a motion to the full council on Wednesday calling for uniform standards. He said: “A national procurement framework could ensure uniformity of equipment and cost efficiency, while avoiding undue hardship on small businesses.”
The move follows a petition by independent councillor Daisy Blakemore-Creedon, calling for CCTV to be mandatory. Blakemore-Creedon said: “It deters bad behaviour, helps resolve disputes and gives people more confidence to get home safely, especially late at night.”
Last December, the council voted against mandatory CCTV cameras for locally registered taxis. Ali Haider of the Peterborough Private Hire Association supported that decision, describing cameras as an “intrusion of privacy” and a “financial burden” on drivers.
Some drivers have suggested that flexible arrangements could make CCTV more acceptable. Taxi driver Jake Carter 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.”
Jamil’s motion proposes writing to the transport secretary and local MPs Andrew Pakes and Sam Carling to seek national guidance on CCTV in licensed taxis. The motion states: “Some local authorities have made installation mandatory, others have left it voluntary, and some have prohibited it altogether. These inconsistencies extend to data protection, storage and access arrangements, resulting in confusion, inequality and an uneven playing field across the trade.
“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. The government should explore mechanisms such as central funding, grant schemes or tax relief to support the trade in meeting these requirements.”
