Peterborough taxi drivers on why they oppose CCTV in cabs

Peterborough Telegraph

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00:00Good evening Councillors and everybody present. My name is Ali Haider and I'm the Chair representing

00:09both the Peterborough Private Hire Association and the Peterborough Acme Federation. Together

00:16we represent many drivers and operators who serve us here every day, ensuring safe and

00:21reliable journeys. I'm here to express our strong opposition to the proposal to make

00:27CCTV mandatory in all licensed vehicles. A significant 88% of us opposed the idea

00:34and I'd like to explain why. Let's start with the fact. Taxis in Peterborough are among

00:40the safest in the country. Our drivers and companies use some of the most advanced systems

00:45available, ensuring passengers and drivers know who they are picking up with tracking

00:52systems in place for safety. For example, many operators use advanced text messaging

00:57systems that notify passengers of key details about their driver and vehicle. Customers

01:03are informed of the driver's name, vehicle registration, make, model and colour of the

01:09car. This ensures passengers feel safe and confident, knowing exactly who will be picking

01:14them up. Here are some of the additional safety measures we already have. Enhanced

01:22DBS checks and driving licence checks are carried out before licences are issued and

01:28at every renewal. As Mr Day mentioned, there's a national database system now, so that's

01:36even more checking for us. Drivers must pass a rigorous driving test and complete a knowledge

01:41and competence course before they can be licenced. Immigration checks, medicals and HMRC compliance

01:49checks ensure that our drivers have a right to work and pay their taxes. Vehicles are

01:54regularly inspected and maintained, ensuring that they're always safe to operate. Passenger

02:01transport for council has additional checks on the driver and also PAs, so they have checks

02:08as well. We already follow strict standards to maintain the highest level of safety.

02:16One of the biggest concerns with mandatory CCTV is privacy. Installing cameras would

02:23be intrusive for both drivers and passengers. 62% of passengers also oppose CCTV, with 84%

02:31passengers specifically saying it's an invasion of privacy. This shows that both drivers and

02:37the public share the same concerns. Installing CCTV is expensive. It is estimated that the

02:45industry would face an additional cost of £1.25 million if CCTV is made mandatory.

02:53Many of us operate on tight budgets and this will only add to the financial burden we already

03:00carry. 38 members of the public have also raised concerns about the cost of CCTV. If

03:06drivers and operators have to pay more, passengers will more than likely see fare increases as

03:12well, which isn't fair to anyone. A mandatory CCTV will not only burden the drivers and

03:20the operators with additional costs, but it will also create significant costs for the

03:25city council. Administrating such a scheme would require substantial resources to ensure

03:32compliance, maintain records, monitor data and process any disputes or complaints that

03:39arise from the use of CCTV footage. These added responsibilities mean the council need

03:45to invest in additional staff, technology and systems to manage the ongoing requirements

03:51of the scheme. This could lead to increased operational expenses at a time when the council

03:57budgets are already stretched. The costs of enforcing compliance, checking CCTV footage

04:03when required and ensuring data protection laws are followed could place a heavy administrative

04:09burden on the council, diverting resources from other essential services.

04:15Contrary to the claim that CCTV will reduce insurance premiums, it is more than likely

04:21to increase them. Most insurance policies have an equipment threshold set at £500,

04:27which means the cost of installing CCTV systems would exceed that limit. Rather than reducing

04:33premiums, this could actually lead to a higher insurance cost for drivers, as the insurance

04:38providers may raise rates due to the higher value of the equipment in their vehicle. This

04:43would place an additional financial burden on drivers who are already facing increased

04:49costs for fuel, vehicle maintenance and other expenses.

04:55CCTV isn't the solution to the problems we face. Two hundred and forty of us believe

05:01that it would not stop offences like verbal abuse or theft from happening in taxis. Recording

05:08incidents after the fact doesn't prevent them from happening in the first place. One

05:13of the major issues drivers face is bilking, where passengers refuse to pay after the journey

05:19A simple solution would be for drivers to take payment for their journey before the

05:24journey starts. This would reduce non-payment without the need for CCTV.

05:31We feel instead of CCTV, we believe in solutions like better training for drivers, safeguarding

05:38passengers and front screen identification for taxis. These measures would improve safety

05:45and without invading privacy or adding unnecessary costs.

05:50Going on to adverse effects on the industry. Mandatory CCTV will have severe adverse effects

05:56on our industry. As mentioned, it is estimated that the industry will be burdened with an

06:01additional cost of £1.25 million. Many drivers are already struggling with the rising costs

06:08of fuel, insurance and vehicle maintenance. Adding the expense of purchasing, installing

06:15and maintaining CCTV systems will make it even harder for drivers to stay in business.

06:21These costs could result in fewer drivers working in the trade. For many part-time drivers

06:27or those operating on tight margins, the added financial burden may force them to leave the

06:33profession altogether. This could reduce the availability of taxis and private hire

06:39vehicles in Peterborough, making it harder for passengers to access services, especially

06:44during peak times. Furthermore, as costs rise for drivers, fare increases will be inevitable.

06:52These fare increases will impact passengers, particularly vulnerable groups like the elderly,

06:57people with disabilities and those who rely on taxis as their primary form of transport.

07:03This will create an affordability issue for the passengers, reducing demand for the services

07:09and further harming the industry.

07:13Another major concern is the increase of out-of-area drivers who will not be subject to the CCTV

07:19requirements. This is already happening in Peterborough. Drivers from Lincolnshire, Southcote-Steven,

07:25Huntingdon and Wolverhampton are already working here under different licensing authorities.

07:31In fact, we even have a Wolverhampton-approved MOT station operating in Peterborough. The

07:38introduction of CCTV for local drivers may unintentionally create an unfair advantage

07:43for those out-of-area drivers who do not have the same overhead costs and are not required

07:50to install CCTV. This could lead to an influx of even more out-of-area vehicles in our city,

07:57undermining the efforts of local drivers who are following the rules.

08:03And the out-of-town drivers also provide council transport for children. They will not be subject

08:12to the same rules as us. This creates an uneven playing field in the industry where out-of-area

08:18drivers can undercut prices and operate without the same costs of scrutiny. In turn, this would

08:24hurt local drivers and operators who are forced to comply with the additional expenses and

08:29regulations. It could also raise safety concerns, as passengers might not be aware that they are

08:34being picked up by a driver who is not subject to the same safety and licensing checks as local

08:41drivers. Peterborough City Council is already facing a loss of licence fees due to local

08:47drivers moving to other licensing councils that do not impose the same restrictions.

08:53If mandatory CCTV is introduced, it will only accelerate this trend. More drivers will choose

08:59to be licensed by councils that do not require costly CCTV installations, resulting in a further

09:06loss of revenue for the council. This would also reduce the number of local drivers, weakening the

09:11local taxi industry. In the long run, Peterborough will lose control of its own taxi services,

09:18as more drivers choose to operate under out-of-area licenses, further undermining

09:23local safety and regulatory standards. In conclusion, I urge the council to reconsider

09:29the introduction of mandatory CCTV in licensed vehicles. CCTV is intrusive,

09:36violating the privacy of both drivers and passengers. It is costly, with an estimated

09:47£1.25 million burden on the industry, while also significantly increasing administrative

09:53costs for the council. Additionally, the equipment threshold set by most insurance providers

09:58means drivers would likely face increased insurance premiums. CCTV is ineffective in

10:04preventing incidents, merely recording them after they happen. Finally, it creates an unfair

10:09playing field, encouraging more out-of-time drivers to operate without the same costs and

10:14regulations, further weakening our local taxi industry.

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