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Agenda item

CCTV in Taxis

To consider the draft CCTV Policy.

Minutes:

Councillor R Hall left the meeting at this point. 

 

The Committee was reminded that it had discussed previously whether CCTV ought to be introduced in hackney and private hire vehicles licensed by the Council.  Members had generally felt that a policy requiring CCTV to be installed  in private hire and hackney carriage vehicles would have real advantages and that the Council out to put this policy requirement into place. 

 

In this context, the Committee noted that Cabinet had recently concluded that a policy to require CCTV in North East Derbyshire District Council licensed taxis should be progressed.  Cabinet felt it important that this policy be developed in consultation with the drivers and that it took into account further government guidance on the use of CCTV in taxis, which was expected imminently. 

 

Members then heard about the possible revisions to the Council’s Licensing Policy – Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles.  The Solicitor explained that, if adopted, these revisions would ensure that no vehicle would be licensed by the Council as a hackney carriage or a private hire taxi, unless a suitable CCTV system had been installed in it and that this system was compliant with the Council’s data security and technical requirements.  The policy requirement would not it was explained apply to those vehicles licensed by other local authorities which operate as taxis in the District. 

 

The Committee was reminded that it would have an opportunity to comment on any specific proposals to establish the Policy, prior to their submission to Council for approval.  The Committee welcomed this. 

 

The Committee discussed extensively the possible policy revisions.  Members considered the potential data protection implications that would need to be addressed, the need for clear signage explaining how vehicles had on-board systems, and how other local authorities had made the installation of CCTV a policy requirement for their licensed vehicles.  In this context, the Committee recalled the policies and practices developed by Rotherham Council which required CCTV to be installed in their licensed vehicles. 

 

In response to a question by Councillor M Foster, the Solicitor was asked to contact the authority to discuss its approach to requiring CCTV to be installed in their licensed vehicles.  The Committee felt that this might be of assistance in developing and implementing the Council’s own Policy on the installation of CCTV in vehicles licensed by North East Derbyshire District Council.  

 

RESOLVED – That:-

 

(1)       The Communities Scrutiny Committee welcomed the proposed revisions to the Council’s Licensing Policy, Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles and asked that the specific comments around required signage and other issues made at the meeting be taken into account in the development of the final Policy. 

 

(2)       The Communities Scrutiny Committee requested the Council’s legal service to liaise with Rotherham Borough Council on the approach taken to the development of their policies on CCTV systems in hackney carriage and private hire vehicles licensed by that authority, in order to determine what lessons could be applied to the Policy developed and adopted by North East Derbyshire District Council. 

(Solicitor)

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