Following the tragic murder of private hire driver, Anakh Singh, in 2022, Wolverhampton Council is considering allowing drivers to temporarily record audio inside their cabs using a 'panic switch'.
More than 300 crimes were recorded in 2019 by West Midlands Police that involved Wolverhampton taxis/PHVs according to the council and the move aims to enhance driver safety and deter potential attacks.
While CCTV cameras are already permitted in licensed vehicles, continuous audio recording has been restricted due to privacy concerns with the council stating: "recording conversations would be “highly intrusive to people’s data rights and unjustified in meeting the purpose of preventing and evidencing crimes.”
However, now the local authority is reviewing its stance on this matter, citing the need to protect drivers from violent attacks.
The proposed 'panic switch' would allow drivers to activate audio recording when they feel threatened, providing valuable evidence for law enforcement.
Wolverhampton Council installed a panic switch in one taxi as part of a pilot scheme. The system is used by Rotherham Council which was one of the first local authorities to allow audio recording in licensed taxis following the child exploitation scandal.
Wolverhampton would join councils in Sheffield, Guildford, York, Cambridge, and Southampton to introduce taxi audio recording.
The council’s regulatory committee meets on Wednesday to approve plans for a six-week public consultation.
A final decision is not expected to be made until next year.
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