Mansfield introduces new CCTV rulebook for taxi drivers to boost safety

A new rulebook for taxi drivers who have CCTV in their vehicles has been introduced in Mansfield in a bid to prevent crime.

The decision was made at a meeting of Mansfield District Council’s licensing committee on Thursday, April 16, after a review of guidance from the national Taxi Standards report.

The government has advised authorities to consider whether to make CCTV mandatory in taxis, for safety purposes.

The district council says it supports mandatory CCTV, but that it should be a government policy rather than a policy of individual authorities.

This, they said, is due to the risk of taxi drivers simply getting their taxis licensed by another authority that does not mandate CCTV, if it is made a requirement in Mansfield.

At Thursday’s meeting, councillors instead voted in favour of introducing a “code” in order to regulate the way CCTV is used if taxi drivers want to use it, to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR.

Labour councillor Stuart Richardson said: “This could be a two-way street. It could also protect taxi drivers from vexatious claims so its as much in their interest as it is their passengers’.”

The rules laid out in the “code” are:

• Only two types of cameras are permitted – external dashcams that don’t record audio and internal CCTV
• Dashcams cannot be used to film passengers and must not be visible on any footage recorded by them
• If installing CCTV, a driver must register with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), pay the annual data protection fee, renew their registration annually and keep proof of thee registration in case the council or police need to see it
• Complete a data protection impact assessment to prove using it is a proportionate response to safety concerns
• Continuous audio recording is prohibited and is only allowed to be captured with an emergency trigger or “panic button”
• At least three signs stating that CCTV and audio is being recorded must be displayed in the taxi and list the details of who owns the recording devices
• Photos and videos recorded must be digitally encrypted and stored in a separate device to the camera
• Footage must be overwritten every month on a rolling basis – meaning no video from any one day is saved for more than 31 days (unless it is required for an ongoing investigation)
• Passengers are allowed to ask for a copy of anything recorded of them and this must be given to them for free
• Footage should only be shared with third parties that are authorised, such as the police or council, and after a formal written request
• If the vehicle is going to be used for non-work purposes separately, the CCTV must be disabled
• The driver must service the CCTV system according to the manufacturer’s instructions and keep a log for at least 12 months
• The driver must keep a log of this maintenance as well as proof of their reg

Mansfield District Council says that the “code” is for the purposes of deterring and preventing crime or antisocial behaviour, providing objective evidence for police or council investigations and assisting in the resolution of insurance claims following accidents.

The meeting heard that many taxi drivers in Mansfield already use CCTV in their vehicles.

Other local authorities across the country are currently considering whether to make CCTV mandatory.

In November, Rushcliffe Borough Council agreed to review its taxi CCTV policy with a view to making it mandatory, after a majority of councillors voted for it.

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