All taxi & private hire vehicles licensed in Craven will be expected to have CCTV by April

Image credit: Piqsels remixed

Taxis and private hire drivers licensed in Craven will have to install CCTV cameras into their vehicles by April, the council's licensing committee have decided.

The decision has been made in order to protect both drivers and their passengers, council members confirmed.

Drivers licensed by Craven District Council had been due to have the installation of CCTV cameras introduced as a licensing condition back in September 2020, but due to the coronavirus outbreak, the new rules were deferred.

September's deferral was not the first from the council in relation to mandatory CCTV in taxis and private hire vehicles.

The council originally adopted its new taxi and private hire policy in June 2018, and proposed giving owners until April, last year, to get cameras fitted. But, following concerns from members of the trade about the cost of the equipment and installation, it was put on hold.

At the council's licensing committee meeting which was held online and made available on the council's website, the council’s Licensing Committee did consider putting it off again until June, once again over uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic. However they decided it had been going on long enough.

Newly licensed taxis will now be expected to have cameras from this month, while all others will be expected to have cameras fitted by April.

Council members did however stress that any taxi or private hire driver struggling to comply due to financial hardship, would be able to go to them to explain and would be unlikely to be subject to enforcement action.

According to figures discussed during the meeting, there are currently 130 hackney carriages operating in Craven and 15 private hire vehicles.