Survivor welcomes plans to introduce CCTV in taxis across the UK

CAMPAIGNER Sammy Woodhouse has welcomed Government recommendations to install audio recording and CCTV equipment in all taxis across the country.
Sammy WoodhouseSammy Woodhouse
Sammy Woodhouse

Sammy said it was a “good step forward” and would keep passengers and drivers safer. MP Sarah Champion has also welcomed the proposal.

Sammy, who was groomed as a teenager by abuse gang ringleader Arshid Hussain, was part of the Rotherham Steering Group, which successfully fought for licensing policy changes at Rotherham Borough Council following the CSE scandal.

Prof Alexis Jay said in her report on child sex abuse in 2014 that taxi drivers had been involved in transporting and abusing young CSE victims.

Since the equipment was made mandatory in Rotherham two years ago, Sammy has been lobbying the transport minister to roll out the policy across the country.

One of their 34 recommendations in the report, published yesterday (Monday) by the Government’s Task and Finish Group, read: “In the interests of passenger safety, particularly in the light of events in towns and cities like Rochdale, Oxford, Newcastle and Rotherham, all licensed vehicles must be fitted with CCTV (visual and audio) subject to strict data protection measures.” 

Sammy said: “It’s good news — it’s a good step forward.

“Not only will it keep passengers safe but it will keep drivers safe, too. 

“They get a lot of abuse from drunk people, or worry people are going to leave without paying — it’s a really tough job to be in. 

“You go on buses and trains and there’s CCTV — taxis are the only place that don’t have it. 

“I think it will prevent a lot of crimes.

“Even when a crime does occur, there’s evidence there to secure a conviction.

“This is great news for me.”

The report said a minority of drivers had abused their position of trust and CCTV “can reaffirm or increase passenger confidence”.

It added: “CCTV would not just protect passengers. 

“In England and Wales, approximately 53 per cent of taxi and PHV drivers are non-white, a much higher than average percentage of the workforce.

“The group heard from the United Private Hire Drivers that 50 per cent of drivers it surveyed had been threatened or assaulted and that 57 per cent had been racially abused while working.”

Two of the group’s ten members said they were against the recommendation. Anne Main, MP for St Albans, and Steve Wright, chairman of the Licensed Private Hire Car Association, said they were in favour of the “spirit of the plans” in terms of safety, but took issue with how it would be implemented.

MP Sarah Champion welcomed the move, she said: “It is good to see Rotherham cited in the report as an example of good practice — but those lessons were hard-learned .

“During the child abuse scandal in the town, it is well documented that private hire vehicles (PHVs) were used to groom and transport victims. 

“PHV drivers and operators managed to get around the council’s attempts to introduce mandatory CCTV by obtaining a licence from another authority, and continuing to operate in Rotherham.

“There are a number of recommendations from the report that will help prevent this from happening again. 

“This includes the introduction of national minimum standards for taxis/PHVs (including CCTV in all vehicles) and a rule that drivers can only operate in areas where they have a licence.”

She added: “Another important recommendation is that all drivers undertake safeguarding, child sexual abuse and disability awareness training. 

“Given the important role taxi/PHV drivers play in the town’s community, this is a crucial step towards keeping vulnerable people safe.

“It is now up to the Government to stop delaying and get on with bringing forward the recommended changes so that vulnerable people and legitimate taxi/PHV drivers are better protected.”

To read the report visit, https://bit.ly/2Q37HnI.

 

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