Taxi drivers win fight for cab safety cameras

Police have secured Home Office funding for the equipment.

The systems, some of which are dashboard-mounted, record high-quality pictures and sound for up to 32 days.

Treasurer of Calderdale Private Hire Association Arshad Mahmood said cameras were what drivers had been asking for and had needed for a long time.

"It's good news for the safety of drivers and their passengers," he said.

Figures show there were 82 attacks on Calderdale cabbies in 2007-08 with race being a factor in 19.

Chief Inspector Mark Allsop, of West Yorkshire Police, said: "Previous experience of CCTV in cabs has been that they are a great success – for both passenger and driver safety.

"These cameras also record audio, so verbal abuse and anti-social behaviour will be tackled, ensuring a safer environment for drivers and police action where behaviour is such that positive action is needed.

"We have held regular meetings with the local private hire association and the council to see what could be done and at a recent meeting companies from across Calderdale were offered the opportunity to take part in this initiative to enhance the quality of CCTV and improve both driver and passenger safety.

"Attacks against cab drivers are not acceptable – just as they are not acceptable against any other member of society.

"We have already brought people to justice for such attacks and the CCTV will be another weapon to deter people committing these offences or catch them if they do."

The systems record high-quality images for between 16 and 32 days before needing to be re-set. Calderdale Council's licensing team will be the only agency to download any images.

Det Insp Tony Nicholson, who helped lead the project, said: "It's a good example of how partners can work together to prevent serious crime against people like taxi drivers who are trying to help the community."

Not all Calderdale's taxi and private-hire firms have yet signed up to the cameras.