Taxi driver employs Big Brother tactic
A NEWMARKET taxi driver has installed CCTV in his car to protect himself against violent customers.
Clive Gibbs, who runs Superb Cars with his wife Lynda, has splashed out 700 on two micro-cameras and recording equipment for his cab.
The move comes after footage from an in-car CCTV system was used to successfully convict a 28-year-old man from Bury St Edmunds who sexually assaulted a female taxi driver from Newmarket.
“I think the public should be made aware that more drivers are now using CCTV in taxis because it is an excellent deterrent,” said Mr Gibbs, 61.
“At the moment, only about six out of the 80 working taxis in Newmarket have the system.
“But in five to 10 years, I think it could be as important to cab drivers as the meter.”
Mr Gibbs first heard about the technology five years ago and has already used a recording from his taxi to help in the successful conviction of someone who refused to pay their fare.
“When I first started driving, half-a-dozen people ran off without paying,” he said. “Unfortunately, it happens quite a lot to drivers.”
The system is capable of recording customer movements and conversations, with a small micro-camera on the dashboard filming the driver and the passenger, while a second camera in the roof of the car covers the back seats.
Information is stored on a hard-drive, which can be downloaded by the police and used as evidence in court. The footage can also be used to defend drivers against false allegations by customers.
Mr Gibbs said he thought the system should be used by more drivers.
“I would recommend all taxi drivers to have some form of CCTV,” he said. “It’s in their interests to protect themselves and their customers.”
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Friday 25 May 2012
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