Nta consider intaxi cameras

The National Transport Authority is considering putting CCTV cameras in taxis, new proposals have revealed.

The State agency is calling for submissions in relation to additional driver safety equipment in the small public service vehicle sector, which covers taxis, hackneys and limousines.

It comes after a local teenager appeared in court last week charged with robbing a local taxi driver at Bloomfield Drive, Athlone.

As of June 30 last, there were 28,578 drivers licensed to provide public transport services across the country. 

The rationale behind the consultation is that the industry has an almost unique set of characteristics in that a driver’s daily activity involves 24 hour lone working, door-to-door services on unscheduled routes, the handling of money and valuables and, as has been increasingly reported upon in recent years, both threats to personal security and violence at work.

As part of the report of the Taxi Regulation Review Group, set up in 2012,  a consultation process will be carried out with the public industry on the possibilities and merits of introducing a requirement for the mandatory provision of certain driver safety equipment in taxis.

Potential options include in-vehicle security cameras, a partition separating the driver front seat area from the remainder of the vehicle; A locational alert system; or other new technology based options.

Submissions, clearly marked ‘Mandatory Driver Safety Equipment Consultation 2015’, must be received by the Authority by 5pm on Friday, September 25 next either by email: driversafety@nationaltransport.ie or by post to the address details below to Driver Safety, National Transport Authority, Dún Scéine, Iveagh Court, Harcourt Lane, Dublin 2.