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Brighton taxi drivers will pay £700 for CCTV

2:10pm Friday 12th November 2010 in News By Nigel Freedman

Taxis in Brighton and Hove will be fitted with CCTV - at a cost of £700 for every driver.

Council bosses have insisted the vehicles are fitted with the cameras by 2012.

The cameras, which will record images and possibly sound, are being fitted after complaints that a minority of drivers were shunning disabled passengers.

They will be installed when existing hackney carriage licenses come up for renewal next year.

Andy Cheeseman, managing director of City Cabs, supported the move but said he believed some operators could struggle to meet costs in the current economic climate.

He added: “Unlike buses, taxis are not subsidised. Everything has to be paid by the driver through the fares they earn.

“I support the idea of CCTV but at a time when finances are stretched mortgages and rents must come first. It should be introduced over a period of time.”

But some drivers have claimed the cameras will even record passengers’ conversations and could breach data protections rules.

Comments(21)

Granny says...
2:16pm Fri 12 Nov 10

This is a good idea in theory as I have enountered a few drivers who have no patience if you are even slightly disabled. I must say that these drivers are in the minority. The majority are most helpful and are prepared to wait if you take a bit longer to get in or out of the taxi, sometimes carrying your shopping to your front door as well. However, I am not so keen on conversations being picked up.

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Andre Spooner says...
2:24pm Fri 12 Nov 10

I do not really understand why they are doing this. Both myself and my Mighty Horse are interested in a wide range of things, but I cannot imagine that many people will tune in to watch 24 hour footage of real taxi journeys. Is there going to be a presenter interlinking the sections, or is it literally going to be live feeds from the taxis of Brighton and Hove? After a while, surely the footage would become monotonous! It would just be of people getting in and out of taxis. I could imagine fitting a camera to a top beekeeper, for example, for live feeds of the dangerous sport of beekeeping, or perhaps tying a video camera to the face of one of our local councillors for a direct up to the minute feed of what's going on in the cut and thrust world of Brighton and Hove's political scene. But taxi drivers? Surely not even Channel 5 will air this for very long!




Wow, my security word was "Mighty-Horse"! HOW ARE YOU COLLECTING THIS INFORMATION ABOUT ME, ARGUS??

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Brightonian56 says...
2:47pm Fri 12 Nov 10

@Andre Spooner

Beekeeping isn't a sport

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Rita Snatch says...
2:53pm Fri 12 Nov 10

Brightonian56 wrote:
@Andre Spooner

Beekeeping isn't a sport
It is when you are being chased by a swarm!

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Ballroom Blitz says...
2:53pm Fri 12 Nov 10

So, have I got this right, they are forcing all cabs to fit CCTV cameras because ther have been "complaints that a minority of drivers were shunning disabled passengers".
You've got to be kidding me.
Much as I sympathise with any disabled person that has been "shunned" by a cab, I can't really believe that this is widespread, so why CCTV for every cab?
I'm sure there is more to this than is being reported. Of course the CCTV would offer some protection to the driver against violent passengers and fare evasion - but according to this article neither of these factors are in the equation. Really?

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Ballroom Blitz says...
2:56pm Fri 12 Nov 10

And it wouldn't be £700 per driver. As most cabs have several drivers, surely it would be £700 PER CAB.
Bad reporting again.

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Morpheus says...
3:57pm Fri 12 Nov 10

This is a ridiculous idea from a council that has no idea about the value of money because all it does is spend other people's money. Only a minority of taxi drivers are causing a problem and it is a simple issue of noting the number plate and dealing with the individual drivers concerned. Instead our crazy council thinks that it is appropriate to rob all the other drivers of £700. This council should be voted out at the elections next May. I hope that the taxi drivers go on strike to stop this. (I am not a taxi driver).

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monty sidewinder says...
4:06pm Fri 12 Nov 10

can it be used to identify 'non cabbies' ?? you know, the sunday drivers that don't know where they're going and drive like lunatics.

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CaliforniaGirl says...
4:46pm Fri 12 Nov 10

OMG! So this means that ANYONE using a cab will be filmed - are famous -people going to be happy about that? What about those people who enjoy the proverbial 'dirty weekend in Brighton'. This is a gross invasion of privacy. Cab drivers who do not provide a good service should be reported - putting CCTV in every cab is riduculous and totally inappropriate.

Big Brother seems to want to get even closer to us!

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kayotic says...
5:17pm Fri 12 Nov 10

Where do they get this figure of £700 from. I have fully CCTV'd my shop complete with four cameras and a video recorder for just over £400. Methinks the cab owners are being ripped off!! Could be a case of the biter being bit.

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Pebbles says...
5:51pm Fri 12 Nov 10

The main point about this is that the councillors who have decided this plan want to have audio recording of all coversations between the driver and the customer and between the customers themselves.

This totally against the Guidelines of the Information Commissioner and the Data- Protection Act.

Yet the Councillors who sit on the Licensing Committee are demanding that all audio recorded of private conversation goes ahead:

The Licensing Committee is made up of:

Denise Cobb (Chair) - Jeane Lepper - Steve Harmer - Pat Hawkes - Jason Kitcat - Mo Marsh - Averil Older - Alex Phillips - Brian Pidgeon - Dee Simpson - Carol Theobald - David Watkins - Pete West - Georgina Wright

It really is beyond belief that these councillors believe they are better than the Data- Protection Act.

This is nothing at all to do with the allegation of "some" drivers shunning disabled people... it is all to do with collecting private conversations.

So, beware all that enter into a Brighton Taxi, keep your mouth shut because not only will you be watched, but you will also be listened to.

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Bryan taxi driver says...
6:40pm Fri 12 Nov 10

£700 is a lot of money to pay for cctv. IM a taxi driver in Brighton and we are struggling to earn a living at the moment with rising costs. And with vat, fuel and insurances keep going up where are we supposed to find this £700 from? The hackney carriage and the taxi firms who we drive for keep putting more and more taxi's on the roads which is making it even harder to earn a living. If there is a problem with the disabled customer then surely if you are going to fit cctv in the taxi then it should be fitted in those cabs that are wheelchair accessible.

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John Steed says...
6:55pm Fri 12 Nov 10

these units are NOT able to be played back without special equipment that is NOT supplied to the cabbie, you are totally safe and your privacy is total, if however the cabbie is attacked or the passengers do a runner, or a member of the public complains irrefutable data is available to the police/taxi inspectors office, £700 is small change foe peace of mind and both public and cabbies safety. stop moaning without understanding the facts.
hear in worthing a subsidised scheme operates, many cabs have these units fitted already,. thumbs up on this one

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corsair1 says...
9:12pm Fri 12 Nov 10

I am a brighton Taxi driver and this is a totally stupid idea, I have been a cab driver for thirty one years and have in that time never been summoned to the town hall for being unhelpfull to passangers disabled or other wise, as most of the other drivers also.All Brighton taxis are easily identified with livery and the numbers on doors,report the offenders, and the offenders can be dealt with as they have always been.Do a survey amongst the Taxi users in Brighton and I can garantee that the Taxi passengers woundnt want them either, its an invasion of everyons privacy, and may even stop people using cabs so much, come Brighton council, leave us alone and let us get on with our job, its difficult enough now!.

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Pebbles says...
11:01pm Fri 12 Nov 10

John Steed wrote:
these units are NOT able to be played back without special equipment that is NOT supplied to the cabbie, you are totally safe and your privacy is total, if however the cabbie is attacked or the passengers do a runner, or a member of the public complains irrefutable data is available to the police/taxi inspectors office, £700 is small change foe peace of mind and both public and cabbies safety. stop moaning without understanding the facts. hear in worthing a subsidised scheme operates, many cabs have these units fitted already,. thumbs up on this one
Sorry you are wrong on that. Any person can apply to be a licensed Data Controller.... even mere cab drivers. It costs £35 per year.

Such licensed Data Controllers have full access to the data... even if it is encrypted. Much the same as any shopkeer does.

However, of course with that licence comes responsiblity

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General Woundwort says...
9:30am Sat 13 Nov 10

One of the things my company does is fit CCTV, I would love to know how the council arrived at the figure of £700, we supply and fit such units for about £450......

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Bryan taxi driver says...
2:21pm Sat 13 Nov 10

General Woundwort wrote:
One of the things my company does is fit CCTV, I would love to know how the council arrived at the figure of £700, we supply and fit such units for about £450......
Thats brighton and hove council now all they are interested is making money out of us. So somebody is making £250 profit??????

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Pebbles says...
2:38pm Sat 13 Nov 10

The current "approved" system does cost around £700.. and indeed there are cheaper systems available that have yet to be approved.

But this is not the point.. the council are abusing their powers by making this compulsory as part of licensing conditions where it has been voluntary for many years.

It is all about control and nothing else.

And sadly compulsory CCTV is fully supported by the local GMB union who have abandoned rights of local taxi drivers to work without being under constant watch by Big Brother.

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billboy999 says...
9:16am Mon 15 Nov 10

Just a couple of points:

1. What legal statute allows cab drivers the right to video passengers?. I know of a few that make it illegal to adopt this practise, ie The Human Rights Act and the Data Protection Act.

2.Notwithstanding the first point, how will the installation of CCTV cameras INSIDE a cab prevent/monitor cab drivers from shunning potential disabled passengers OUTSIDE the cab.

I have traveled extensively throughout the world for over 40 years and used cabs in many countries. I find the taxi service in Brighton and Hove to be one of the best I have encountered, and the relationship between the drivers and their customers to be excellent. I would not like this relationship to be affected on the whim of yet another ill thought through council diktat.

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General Woundwort says...
10:20am Mon 15 Nov 10

billboy999 wrote:
Just a couple of points: 1. What legal statute allows cab drivers the right to video passengers?. I know of a few that make it illegal to adopt this practise, ie The Human Rights Act and the Data Protection Act. 2.Notwithstanding the first point, how will the installation of CCTV cameras INSIDE a cab prevent/monitor cab drivers from shunning potential disabled passengers OUTSIDE the cab. I have traveled extensively throughout the world for over 40 years and used cabs in many countries. I find the taxi service in Brighton and Hove to be one of the best I have encountered, and the relationship between the drivers and their customers to be excellent. I would not like this relationship to be affected on the whim of yet another ill thought through council diktat.
Sorry but you clearly do not understand the Data Protection Act!, the act is not about who or what you can record, it is about the viewing and storage of data!.

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monkey-moo says...
10:50am Tue 16 Nov 10

Sure the cost isnt the issue? If you get a brighton&hove cab from the Eastern road rank to hove town hall, the fare is about £700 anyway!! so whats the fuss!? Brighton cabs....officially the most expensive cabs in the Country.. http://www.dft.gov.u
k/stellent/groups/df
t_transstats/documen
ts/page/dft_transsta
ts_508343.pdf

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