Burnley Council to Introduce CCTV to Taxis

Burnley Borough's Licensing Committee to require private hire vehicles and licensed taxis to install CCTV cameras.

21:40 03 February 2021

Burnley Borough's Licensing Committee will require the installation of CCTV cameras in its private hire vehicles and licensed taxis for the safety of both drivers and passengers. It also recommends introducing basic English proficiency tests for drivers.

 

The changes are expected to be approved by officers when they meet on Thursday. 

 

Their report to councillors says: "In the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the significant changes to service delivery since March 2020, to leave taxi fees unchanged for 2021.

 

"The year's activity on taxi-related work has been largely in response to the pandemic and it would be inappropriate to pass those costs over to the taxi trade."

 

The officers added: "The DfT standards are prescriptive as to the measures local authorities are expected to have in place regarding taxi and private hire vehicle licensing and are clear that these measures are driven by requirements in relation to the protection of vulnerable persons.

 

"Current practices already meet some of the standards prescribed by the DfT, however, other elements will require a review of policies and procedures."