Taxis Get CCTV Cameras

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008

TAXI drivers have welcomed proposals to improve passenger and driver safety, including tougher driver testing and compulsory installation of CCTV.

Changes to the licensing of cabs operating in Gravesham were recommended for approval at a Gravesham Borough Council Cabinet meeting on Monday with a final decision expected in January next year.

If the initiative is approved, Gravesham will be the first borough in the country to introduce compulsory CCTV into its taxis.

The idea was first discussed after 71-year-old taxi driver Gian Chand Bajar, of Darnley Road, Gravesend, was murdered by passenger Luke Aujila, of no fixed abode, in May 2007, by running him over in his own cab. He was sentenced to life in prison in May this year.

Rick Davis, 54, the current joint secretary of the United Taxi Group which represents all taxi drivers in Gravesham, said: “I think as a whole, taxi drivers in the borough will welcome the changes that could be made.

“There will obviously be some who have problems with certain aspects, but I think if it improves the safety of both the drivers and the passengers, then you have to support it.”

Other changes could include the introduction of a penalty points system for drivers breaking the rules, a revision of driver application procedures, enhanced testing which will question candidates on the knowledge of the area and specific landmarks, and drivers will also have to have knowledge of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire law.

Mr Davis had his CCTV fitted last Thursday, at a discounted cost. Currently all drivers will have the opportunity to have CCTV fitted for £97, with funding being provided by Gravesham Borough Council and an EU grant.

The full cost of the installation could be as high as £700.

Mr Davis added: “Having this CCTV fitted will make it far safer for me to be a taxi driver in Gravesend.

“But the high price tag could mean people are put off becoming taxi drivers in the first place, which could mean a shortage of drivers.

“On the other hand, it will weed those people out that don’t want to be proper cabbies

“Overall, safety is the most important issue, and improvements in things like driver testing and the penalty points will help us make travelling in taxis in Gravesham far safer.”

John Cubitt, cabinet member for community safety, said: “The introduction of CCTV in taxis across the borough will improve both public and driver safety immensely.”

A consultation period with drivers, Kent County Council, Kent Police and parish councils will be held until November 28.

Source

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4 Responses to “Taxis Get CCTV Cameras”

Kline0
Posted: Sep 26th, 2008 at 11:25 pm

Yes that murder was tragic and if C.C.T.V. could have caught the offender then i do indeed wrestle with my own mind that this could be a good idea , except for this one nagging doubt . The UK has the most C.C.T.V. in europe but do we have the lowest crimerate? . We have it on our streets even on our buses . How many times have you heard of a crime being solved by C.C.T.V. evidence from muggings , car crime , in fact crime in genral . Has it gone down because of C.C.T.V. ? . I challenge anybody to come up with ‘Realistic’ evidence where there has been a sustained drop in crime in heavily populated areas where there are C.C.T.V. cameras in opperation . ANYBODY? . So now we have law abiding peopld who ‘May’ be caught on camera just going for a simple taxi ride , what time they got in the cab , where they were going to and who they were with . If it does indeed cut crime then i stand corrected . But on past evidence it seems highly unlikely! .

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Kline0
Posted: Sep 26th, 2008 at 11:46 pm

I appologise for my above grammatical errors . It has been a long day and i am tired of ‘Trying’ to convince people that they will miss their civil liberties when they have all but dissapeared . I am happy to have found this site and plan to stay here as long as possible . Just please don’t sleepwalk into a prison of your own making . You still have some human rights left . Just exercise them ‘Within The Letter Of The Law’ , unless one day you wake up and there is no one left who cares what you think , never mind try to voice an opinion . If you think that i am being overdramatic then go back to the 1960s and try to tell them that they would be followed from the time they left for work until they got home and that every move that they made would be on film . You would be locked up for being ‘Paranoid’ and ‘Insane’ . Speak up now while we still can , if not for ourselves then for our children and their children . Who may never know what true freedom of speech ever was!!! .

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Maximus
Posted: Sep 27th, 2008 at 12:43 am

Welcome KlinO

Its like all technology, how it is used or misused is what counts really.

The problem is BUSH & BROWN are Criminals, so anything they do should be put under the utmost scrutiny.

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Kline0
Posted: Sep 27th, 2008 at 3:09 am

Hi well the BUSH family have a very long history in oil and other nefarious activities (Allegedly) throw CHENY and HALLIBURTON and BLACKWATER into the pot and hey presto you get the iraq war (Allegedly) . Don’t forget control of the poppy fields in Afghanistan by the C.I.A. who have been known to dabble in the drugs trade (Allegedly) . Then BLAIR going to war with the express notion of a regime change without the full backing of the U.N. Security council (Which is against the Geneva Convention) FACT . Then the patsy BROWN . All guilty of lies , deciet and genocide , forget the pretend W.M.D the last person who tried to bring that up Dr Kelly commited suicide (Allegedly) . What i would like to know was how far in advance was all this planned and just who is pulling the strings on our so called democratic society . Of course this is only my opinion and maybe i’ve been visiting too many conspiracy sites . But like they say ‘There Is No Smoke Without Fire’ . So who knows for sure ? .

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