"Install CCTV in All Taxis"... English Taxi Drivers in Uproar Over 'I Doshi' Decision

"Installation Cost Burden and Passenger Personal Information Exposure" Backlash
Majority of Passengers "Welcome Policy... It Seems Reassuring"

A city in the UK has decided to mandate the installation of closed-circuit (CC) TV cameras in all taxis throughout the city, sparking a heated debate over the policy.

This photo is not directly related to the content of the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

On the 13th (local time), BBC and other foreign media reported that the executives of the licensing committee meeting of Peterborough City Council decided on the 12th to require CCTV installation in all taxis across the city. Therefore, more than 100 taxi operators and over 1,800 individual taxi drivers throughout Peterborough must comply with this regulation within 12 to 18 months.

However, taxi drivers protested, saying, "The cost of installing CCTV is burdensome," and "It could infringe on the privacy of customers riding in the taxis." Labour Party MP Ali Haider sided with the industry, pointing out that "strict measures" are already being implemented in the taxi industry to ensure passengers feel safe. He explained that taxi drivers throughout Peterborough already provide their information to passengers and follow procedures such as identity verification and providing medical and immigration information. Haider added, "Taxi drivers working in other areas such as Lincolnshire and Wolverhampton do not need to follow these rules," and "Ultimately, many Peterborough taxi drivers will leave to work in other regions." He also noted, "The problems taxi drivers face are verbal abuse and theft," and "These are issues that CCTV cannot prevent; instead, better driver training and prepaid fare systems are needed."

However, the policy has received positive responses from the majority of passengers. Some passengers said, "I used to feel vulnerable to crimes when using taxis, but if this policy is implemented, I will feel reassured." The police also stated, "This decision by the council will be a way to protect the safety of the public, including both drivers and passengers."

The policy was first recommended in 2022, and the committee conducted a vote from November last year to February this year. More than 600 responses were received in this survey, of which 288 were reported to be industry workers.