by The municipality’s proposals to install camera surveillance in taxis are supported by the majority of drivers.
The changes have been put forward by Darlington Borough Council to make hackney carriages and private hire vehicles safer.
A recent public survey into the local government’s updated taxi policy showed that 64% of respondents were in favor of installing cameras.
The Labour-led council said the policy would protect drivers and their passengers, but feared the costs – estimated at between £500 and £1,000 in addition to maintenance – would lead to “owners licensing their vehicles elsewhere”.
A council report said: “If this were made policy there would be a significant financial incentive for owners to license their vehicles elsewhere, reducing effective local control in Darlington.”
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the policy would mean that the local authority, as data controller, would be responsible for the data in each licensed vehicle and would be held liable for any breach of data protection by a driver or operator.
The council report said the higher costs for taxi drivers would “inevitably be passed on to those using the service”.
Drivers are already allowed to install camera surveillance themselves, provided they follow the applicable guidelines.
The council concluded: “A pragmatic approach would be to continue with our current policy of encouraging the voluntary use of CCTV, with licensees following national guidance, while a longer-term policy decision is made in agreement with our regional and national colleagues to ensure there is no incentive to obtain a license elsewhere.”
The proposals and responses to the consultation will be discussed with the members of the licensing committee on October 21.
