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Posted on the 10th March 2025 in PHTM News
WOLVERHAMPTON COUNCIL TO INTRODUCE PANIC SWITCHES IN CABS AFTER DRIVER KILLING
In a move aimed at bolstering driver safety, City of Wolverhampton Council is set to overturn a ban on audio recording in taxis, allowing drivers to install "panic switches."
This decision follows the tragic death of private hire driver Anakh Singh, who was killed in 2022 over a disputed £5.80 fare.
The council's regulatory committee, scheduled to meet on 12 March, is expected to approve proposals that would allow drivers to momentarily record audio inside their cabs when they feel threatened.
This comes after a six-week consultation that saw overwhelming support for the measure, with 96% of respondents agreeing it would improve driver protection.
The impetus for this change stems from the brutal killing of Anakh Singh, who was attacked by Tomasz Margol in Nine Elms Lane. Margol, 36, was subsequently jailed for ten years for manslaughter after punching, kicking, and headbutting Mr. Singh, leaving him to die. The altercation arose from a discrepancy in online fare payment, which had not registered on Mr. Singh's system.
While CCTV is permitted, not mandated, in Wolverhampton taxis, continuous audio recording was previously prohibited. The council had initially expressed concerns that such recordings would be "highly intrusive to people’s data rights and unjustified in meeting the purpose of preventing and evidencing crimes."
However, the severity of the attacks, coupled with a surge in reported crimes involving taxis – West Midlands Police recorded over 300 such incidents in 2019 – prompted a policy review.
The consultation revealed that 88% of respondents believe the "panic switch" system would enhance passenger safety, and approximately 70% of drivers indicated they would likely install the equipment.
The system, which has been piloted in one Wolverhampton taxi and is already in use in cities such as Rotherham, allows for momentary audio capture when activated by a driver who feels endangered.
"Some councils have already given drivers permission to install ‘panic buttons’ which start recording if a driver feels in danger," the council stated.
Wolverhampton will join a growing list of cities, including Sheffield, Guildford, York, Cambridge, and Southampton, in implementing taxi audio recording.
The council has stipulated that the equipment must be professionally installed, or the driver's taxi licence will be subject to review.
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