Taxi drivers support internal CCTV cameras

The introduction of CCTV inside vehicles is hoped to protect customers and passengers

A council's proposals to install CCTV inside taxis have been supported by the majority of drivers.

The changes have been put forward by Darlington Borough Council to make hackney carriage and private hire vehicles safer.

A recent public survey on the local authority's updated taxi policy found 64% of respondents backed installing cameras.

The Labour-led council said the policy would protect drivers and their passengers but it feared the cost - estimated at between £500 and £1,000 alongside maintenance - would make "proprietors license their vehicles elsewhere".

A council report said: "If this were made policy, there would be a significant financial incentive for proprietors to license their vehicles elsewhere, thereby reducing effective local control in Darlington."

The policy would mean the local authority would be responsible as the data controller for data in each licensed vehicle and held liable for any data protection breach by a driver or operator, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The council report stated the increased cost for taxi drivers would "inevitably be passed on to those using the service".

Drivers are already allowed to install their own CCTV, provided they follow the appropriate guidelines.

The council concluded: "A pragmatic approach would be to continue with our current policy of encouraging the voluntary use of CCTV, with licence holders following national guidance, whilst a longer-term policy decision is made in line with our regional and national colleagues to ensure there is no incentive to be licensed elsewhere."

The proposals and responses to the consultation are due to be discussed licensing committee members on 21 October.