Taxi Driver Online

GRAVESHAM: CCTV in taxis making drivers feel safer after cabbie's murder

TAXI drivers say they feel “much safer” since CCTV was installed in cars after the murder of a cabbie. In January Gravesham Council made cameras compulsory in taxis across the borough, after 71-year-old driver Gian Chand Bajar was murdered by passenger Luke Aujila in May 2007.

This decision followed a campaign by United Taxi Group, which represents taxi drivers in Gravesend, of which there are around 180, and the seven cabs yet to be fitted with CCTV will get it by the end of this month.

The group’s joint secretary Rick Davis, who has been a taxi driver in Gravesham for 17 years, said: “I feel much safer since CCTV was put in my cab, as do the other drivers. “It is a wonderful deterrent. If people see an image of themselves on a little screen and know they’re being recorded, they behave themselves.

The 55-year-old added: “Having the CCTV is about driver and passenger safety, and we’re all happy about it.” Each CCTV unit costs around £700, and funding has come from the council, an EU grant and Kent Police, with drivers having to pay £97 towards the fee. The council is the first local authority to introduce compulsory installation of CCTV.

Inspector Paul Anderson of north Kent police has backed the CCTV project since Mr Bajar was murdered. He said: “It helps to reassure and make travelling in the town centre much safer."

Mr Bajar was murdered by Aujila, aged 20 at the time, in St Benedict's Avenue, Gravesend, after an argument over a taxi fare. Aujila knocked Mr Bajar to the ground and kicked him, and then got into the taxi and ran over the cabbie - who was a well-known figure in Gravesend's Sikh community. He was given a life sentence, with a recommendation he serve a minimum of 20 years.

Following the sentencing in May last year, Mr Davis said: “We should be getting CCTV installed in the cabs now. “It is so sad somebody had to die before the authorities took notice."

_________________
IDFIMH

Good move by the trade getting more or less full funding for the CCTV cameras. We got the funding for ours through the livability fund.

It would be nice to get a few more details on how they achieved the funding and who supplied the kit.

Any ideas/contacts in that area?

I think a load more doors are opened following a murder.

_________________
IDFIMH

It is a shame it took a murder for this to be implemented. However, GRAVESHAM council should be appluaded for their forward thinking. Kent police and even the EU. I carn't beleive I have just wrote that!

And I think that making it compulsory is illegal, and that these cameras will be used more to prosecute the drivers than protect them, CCTV is a good tool for the driver when it is his choice.

_________________
Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Have you any evidence of a driver being prosecuted for something he has done which was captured on his own CCTV?

And if such information is obtained via his own CCTV isn't that a good thing, or do we want the bad guys to get away with wrong doings?

_________________
IDFIMH

When your council suggests money should be spent on btec nvq just say NO we want cctv

Do you only stand on one soap box

_________________
Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

yep but at least i knew difference between radio taxi and independent besides security is more important than stupid btec innit

meeowwwww

I did know the difference I just couldn't understand the relevance when it comes to taxis as they are all independant it's just some use radio circuits as well. Unlike PH have to use radio circuit or their own operators licence. As far as I am concerned independants need the ranks more than those attached to circuits. The comment about the independants was made so as to imply that the independants were taking up too much space on the ranks, ffs

If your btec is taught correctly personal safety is part of the course. Lets do the maths shall we: Btec £150.00 CCTV £600.00 approx. bit of a shortfall don't you think. Anyway shouldn't you be on the golf course playing with your balls

_________________
Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 6:07 pm Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another whopper of a link shortened by Admin

This looks good and with a 4gig SD card from Aldi for £6.50 you could have 24 hour recording

If indis want more work join radio circuit
down ere btec cost loads more plus time wasted of work
already had my 3 rounds dis wk gotta keep mrs lawman appy ye know

You mean you had to do the NVQ that costs more but hey at least it's free. You can't have wasted that much time from work seeing as you don't do that much of it anyway if you can help it, well according to one of your threads that is. It's a shame you don't want to help your fella cabbies with all your knowledge you'd be fab on the NVQ's as an assessor or a deliverer of the course. Perhaps you think it's all beneath you though

_________________
Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!