CCTV consultation begins for Barnsley’s school contract private hire vehicles
- Perry Richardson
- Sep 3
- 2 min read
Barnsley Council is launching a six-week public consultation on a proposal to expand the use of CCTV in private hire vehicles operating under local authority school transport contracts.
The proposed move follows a pilot scheme which saw CCTV installed in all hackney carriages licensed by Barnsley Council. That initial rollout was funded through the Transport Innovation Fund, with aims of improving driver and passenger safety and encouraging more drivers to work during less desirable hours.
With remaining funds from the pilot, the council now wants to extend installation of in-vehicle CCTV to selected private hire vehicles. The new focus will be on those working under home-to-school transport contracts, due to the nature of the passengers being transported and the safeguarding concerns involved.
Under current policy, all Barnsley-licensed hackney carriages must have council-specified CCTV systems fitted and operational whenever the vehicle is being used for hire. While private hire operators have been previously encouraged to fit CCTV voluntarily, this latest consultation aims to mandate the use of such systems where contracts involve transporting children.
The systems are supplied by the council but become the property of the vehicle proprietor once installed. Operators are responsible for system maintenance and security, while the council retains ownership of any recorded footage as the data controller.
The revised policy would also amend vehicle and dual driver conditions of licence to reflect new responsibilities. These include requirements for clear CCTV signage, maintaining written service records for two years, and ensuring cameras are working at the start of each shift. Deliberate interference with equipment could be considered when reviewing a driver’s licence status.
The consultation is set to run from 5 September to 17 October 2025. Stakeholders, including drivers, operators, schools and the public, are being asked to provide written responses to the council’s licensing team.
A final report will be submitted to Cabinet and Council after the consultation closes.
