Barnsley expands taxi CCTV scheme to home-to-school private hire vehicles
CCTV will be offered to private hire drivers who take children to school in Barnsley in a bid to boost safety
Last updated 28th Nov 2025
CCTV will be offered to private hire vehicles that operate home-to-school transport in Barnsley after councillors approved changes to the borough’s taxi licensing policy.
Barnsley Council’s cabinet agreed the proposals on Wednesday (26 November), allowing remaining South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) pilot funding to be used to extend an existing CCTV scheme beyond hackney carriages.
The cameras will be made available to 75 private hire vehicles that carry out school transport contracts on behalf of the council. Once fitted, their use will become mandatory under updated licence conditions, meaning drivers must have the system switched on whenever the vehicle is being used for hire or reward.
The council said the aim is to increase safety for both drivers and passengers, support safeguarding measures and deter challenging behaviour during home-to-school journeys.
The scheme follows the first phase of the pilot, which installed CCTV in all 67 licensed hackney carriages earlier this year.
A six-week public consultation produced ten responses, with seven supporting the extension of CCTV to school-contract private hire vehicles. Some concerns were raised about earlier equipment quality, and councillors were told the previous contractor had since been removed from the scheme.
Under the changes, the council will act as the data controller for all footage, while vehicle owners will be responsible for the maintenance and operation of the system once installed.
Councillor Wendy Cain, cabinet member for public health and communities, said: “On behalf of the council, this is a real opportunity to provide these drivers with the same safety benefits at no cost to them.
“CCTV not only reassures passengers, but also gives drivers increased protection when working. It also helps uphold high standards across the sector.”
Revised policy documents and licence conditions will be published once formally adopted.