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Cabbies protest at council's 'un-fare' CCTV proposal
A CONVOY of more than 200 cabbies brought city traffic to a standstill yesterday as they protested at plans to make them install CCTV cameras in all taxis.
A CONVOY of more than 200 cabbies brought city traffic to a standstill yesterday as they protested at plans to make them install CCTV cameras in all taxis.Hundreds of taxis were driven slowly around the city centre for more than three hours yesterday as drivers expressed their anger at the proposals under which they will have to pay for the new security measure.
Starting from Gladstone Community Centre at 11am, the drivers made their way down Bourges Boulevard to the taxi enforcement office at Bridge House where they parked up and handed over a petition containing more than 200 signatures to the council's principal taxi enforcement officer Ken Gray.
The measure has been proposed by Peterborough City Council to install compulsory CCTV cameras in every cab as a way to deter attacks on drivers.
As part of the proposals, approved by the council's licensing committee, city taxi drivers will have to install their own cameras – at a cost of up to 679 per cab - within the next two years. There are also plans to provide NVQ training to help defuse tense situations with passengers.
But it comes at a time when the recession has seen profits plunge to an all-time low for Peterborough's 912 taxi and private hire drivers and 600 plus vehicles.
Speaking outside the enforcement office in East Station Road, Nick Messenger (48), who has been a taxi driver in the city for 14 years, said the CCTV cameras were a waste of time and money, especially for people like himself who only do airport runs or out of town trips.
He said: "The CCTV is meant to be there to protect drivers, but I am driving people who are going on holiday, they are not going to hurt me.
"The cameras should be there as an option for those who want them.
"By making people install CCTV in their cars and pay for them out of their own pockets will mean more drivers will start ignoring the new laws and drive illegally.
"We already have badges round our necks which cost 100 to renew each year and our vehicle plates which cost 180 to renew every year. We are in a recession, struggling to get work, we can't afford to pay out any more."Another cabbie, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "First CCTV, what next? stab vests? When will it end? Are residents of Peterborough that violent that we should need to protect ourselves against them?"
Taxi driver of 12 years Pervez Shahid (42) said: "Peterborough is a small city with an excessive number of taxi and private hire drivers.
"It is no longer feasible in these worrying times to accept these changes in licence condition that will occur additional expense for drivers at a time when there is real financial concern.
"We have now handed the petition over and hope the council will negotiate with us, otherwise a series of protests will continue until the council recognise the validity of our points and are prepares to work with us on these matters."
Executive director of operations for Peterborough City Council Paul Phillipson said he has received the petition and also spoke to a group of the taxi and private hire drivers and their comments will now be taken on board.
He said: "The committee has agreed that it should be compulsory to have CCTV in all private hire and hackney cabs for public and driver safety and there is a lot of support for this decision.
"As a result of the decision to introduce NVQ training we have already received feedback from drivers who want to take part which means they will be able to deliver better customer service."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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