Craven District Council is holding a public consultation on the introduction of CCTV cameras in hackney carriage and private hire vehicles in the district.

Councillors have previously agreed in principle that CCTV should be introduced, however the Council is keen to consult members of the public, members of the taxi trade, and other organisations, before taking a final decision on implementation.

Tim Chadwick, Licensing Manager at Craven District Council, said: “We believe that having CCTV in all licensed vehicles will enable the prevention and detection of crime and promote a safer experience for both licensed drivers and the travelling public.

“Drivers of licensed vehicles are placed in a position of trust to carry, sometimes unaccompanied, and vulnerable individuals within our society. 

“The Council also recognises the vulnerable position that drivers of licensed vehicles place themselves in on a daily basis; they can be subject to verbal and physical abuse, robberies and false allegations.  Furthermore, the drivers play a pivotal role in dispersing members of the public who make use of the night time economy.

“We would like to hear from members of the public and the taxi trade, as well as partners and stakeholders, to get a wide range of responses to this proposal.”

Members of the Council’s Licensing Committee have proposed that the implementation of CCTV within Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles should be made mandatory effective from 1st April 2020.

Under the proposals, cameras would be able to view outside the front of the vehicle and inside, including the passenger area. No sound recordings would be made while people were in the vehicle, unless an audio recording button was activated. This can be separately activated by either the driver or passengers.

The proposed scheme would mean that Craven District Council would be the data controller and be the only authorised organisation able to access any CCTV footage. Neither drivers nor vehicle operators would have access to filmed footage.

Any downloads of footage that are requested would only cover the period when the incident was reported to have happened.

The results of the consultation exercise will be presented to the licensing committee for a final decision on implementation.  

The online survey can be completed at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CRAVENCCTV

Paper copies of the consultation are available at the Council Offices at Belle Vue Square, Broughton Road, Skipton, BD23 1FJ.