City taxis to get CCTV to halt child exploitation Move follows scandal in which cabs trafficked girls to abusers
BIRMINGHAM taxis and cabs could soon all be fitted with CCTV to protect passengers and drivers – and to help the fight against child sexual exploitation.
City licensing chiefs have launched consultation with hackney carriage and private hire car drivers, customers and operators over the plans.
The camera proposal was recommended in the Dame Louise Casey report into widespread child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, in which a network of minicab drivers were used to traffic girls to locations for abuse. Some attacks took place in taxis.
Already Rotherham, Warrington, Wigan and Southampton have made CCTV compulsory in cabs and Birmingham is aiming to be the next licensing authority to do so.
But there may be objections from drivers faced with the estimated £500 cost of installing official recording equipment.
Cab drivers in Birmingham are now also required to have safeguarding training to enable them to spot signs of and report child sexual exploitation.
Consultation will also take place about whether recording should be compulsory at night or when lone children, females, or vulnerable people are onboard.
Licensing committee member Des Flood (Con, Bartley Green) said: “The installation of CCTV cameras in taxis is a positive step forward in safeguarding the health and wellbeing of all taxi users.
“Taxi drivers play an important role in keeping an eye on the children in the community. The installation of CCTV cameras will also support taxi drivers against false allegations.
“We need to raise the bar for safe- guarding of children and vulnerable adults using transport services.”
He pointed out that a large number of vulnerable children are transported by cab to schools every day in Birmingham.
“Safeguarding training for all Birmingham taxi drivers must be man- datory,” said Cllr Flood. “We also need to close any loopholes for taxi drivers licensed from neighbouring authorities, who ply for trade in our city, by ensuring that we have consistency in terms of mandatory safeguarding training for all taxi drivers.”
Cllr Lynda Clinton (Lab, Tyburn) said: “Apart from the cost I can’t see why any driver would not wish to see themselves protected, and their passengers, because they are vulnerable to allegations.
“We also may have drivers who sadly are picking up the same people on a regular basis and that can turn into grooming.”
Imran Akram, of TOA taxis, said it was already their policy not to take under-14s without an adult sending them off and collecting them at the other end – which he said should be policy across the trade.
He added that drivers face huge costs of upgrading or replacing high polluting cars and the camera plans would add a further cost.