Passengers are being urged to get into cabs only if they have CCTV by a councillor who spent a night with Brighton and Hove’s taxi enforcement team.
Lee Wares said: “Passengers should check if the taxi has CCTV before they get in.”
Councillor Wares joined the enforcement team on Saturday night (12 November) and said: “Operators, drivers and vehicles registered and licensed by Brighton and Hove City Council comply with some of the highest standards in the UK under the council’s Blue Book, including criminal background checks and the provision of in-vehicle CCTV.
“One of the key licensing objectives is to ensure the prevention of crime and disorder, safeguarding of children and the vulnerable and the protection of the public.
“Brighton and Hove registered drivers work hard to meet and maintain those objectives.
“In recent times, more and more drivers who are not registered by the council operate within the city but the council has no powers over them where they have been licensed elsewhere.”
Councillor Wares, the opposition Conservative group spokesman on licensing on the council, said: “CCTVs in Brighton and Hove registered taxis are sealed and checked and provide a record for the operator, driver, council and police.
“They provide a higher level of welfare, safeguarding and protection to passengers.
“In simple terms, if the taxi doesn’t have CCTV installed, think twice before you get in.
“This should be particularly pertinent for children, vulnerable men and women and the less abled and disabled or if you are helping somebody to get a taxi after a ‘night out on the town’.
“Taxis registered in Brighton and Hove have CCTV for a purpose. Passengers should take advantage of that higher level of protection.”
The battle of the cabbies continues: what Councillor Wade is trying to suggest, but doesn’t have the bottle to actually say, is “Uber drivers coming into the city from other licencing authorities are paedos and rapists.” Has he been taking notes from the Trump School of Rhetoric?
And people are supposed to feel safe with drivers who say things like the comment above, social media is covered in comments like that written by disgruntled taxi drivers! It’s vile to witness!
The only justice in it is that while they’re sitting around on the internet trying to put customers off, uber are out there working getting more popular in b&h by the day. Friends and colleagues are finding them to be more professional and more convenient. People only have to try them once to see how good their service is in comparison to the local companies. At first I felt sorry for the local taxis but having seen the revolting behaviour I wish uber drivers continuing success here.
Check out YOUTUBE out of town UBER taxi driver in Brighton
so how many if any were caught without cctv
Just a shame that these reported ‘highest standards’ clearly don’t include the actual driving; the amount of times that I have seen a taxi driver not bothering to signal or speeding, almost causing an accident is immense and what happens when you make a complaint?…..absolutely NOTHING!