Call for funding to support CCTV in taxis

A city councillor is calling on the government to establish a national framework for CCTV in taxis alongside funding its installation.

In a motion to be put to a full meeting of Peterborough City Council on Wednesday, Labour cabinet member for finance Mohammed Jamil says "a national procurement framework could ensure uniformity of equipment and cost efficiency, while avoiding undue hardship [for] small businesses".

It comes after independent councillor Daisy Blakemore-Creedon launched a petition 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 to reject mandatory CCTV cameras in taxis registered with the local authority.

Ali Haider, of Peterborough Private Hire Association, welcomed that vote, calling cameras an "intrusion of privacy" that would be "a financial burden" on drivers.

Taxi driver Jake Carter previously 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 suggests writing to the transport secretary and local MPs Andrew Pakes and Sam Carling to urge them to support national guidance on CCTVs in licensed taxis.

It 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 taxis 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."

Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.