Telford residents to be asked about fitting CCTV in taxis
Residents in and around Telford are being asked by if they think CCTV would help them feel safer in taxis.
Currently Telford & Wrekin Council has a voluntary CCTV policy in place for taxis.
To date, 25 licensed vehicles have been fitted with CCTV as part of a completed pilot scheme. Going forward, the unit cost is approximately £800, payable by drivers.
However, the the council is now considering making taxi cameras mandatory and has launched the survey to find evidence to help decide if mandatory CCTV in taxis could improve overall safety.
The public consultation started on Friday and will run for eight weeks. It comes as a result of industry standards set out by The Department for Transport (DfT).
Deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for homes & enforcement, Councillor Richard Overton said: “Safety of the people who live and work in Telford is paramount and CCTV may offer benefits for both passengers and drivers – but only if its something people think is necessary.
“Reported incidents involving Telford & Wrekin Council licensed taxis is low and CCTV is one tool we could use. As a collaborative council, we won’t proceed with any decisions until we have spoken with taxi users, owners and drivers to see where the evidence leads us.
“I would urge as many people as possible who have any involvement with taxis, to complete the survey, so we can make an informed decision.”
Access to the survey can be found at telford.gov.uk/cctvsurvey
