NSIT - Not Safe In Taxis
BBC News - Oxford taxi conversations to be recorded, council rules
By April 2015 it will be mandatory for all of the city's 600 plus cabs to have cameras fitted to record passengers.
A council spokeswoman said the "video and audio would run all the time within the vehicle".
She added: "The risk of intrusion into private conversations has to be balanced against the interests of public safety, both of passengers and drivers."
There is a spot in Broad Street where a stake could be erected and the brushwood piled around for just his sort of case.
Comments
"First they came for the taxi cab passengers ..."
Posted by: barnacle bill | November 15, 2011 7:52 AM
Someone pointed out that there are lots of academics with knowledge of obscure languages at Oxford so perhaps it will be costly to arrange translation to ensure nothing untoward being said about the driver.
It's only a matter of time before a recording leaks to the media or YouTube or a faked recording but no one will believe the council if they deny it is one of their ones.
Posted by: MB. | November 15, 2011 9:12 AM
I shall have to remember if I get a cab in Oxford to stick two fingers up to the camera and call them snooping little c**ts to their faces.
Posted by: Jim | November 15, 2011 9:59 AM
I get the inference that the cabbie has nothing to do with the equipment nor can he/she interfere with nor have access to any video/audio tapes. so is this a council operated and funded wheeze or not?
Posted by: Patrick Harris | November 15, 2011 12:41 PM
"The risk of intrusion into private conversations has to be balanced against the interests of public safety, both of passengers and drivers."
Yes. And surely any reasonable person would conclude that that balance comes down heavily in favour of not intruding into private conversations.
This is, of course, precisely the kind of thing the European Court of Human Rights would take no interest in
Posted by: Peter Jackson | November 15, 2011 9:38 PM
I intend to go to Oxford in 3 years just to take a taxi ride. I rarely swear, but will wreck my lifetime average on a £ 5 journey, which, with apologies to the driver, will be one long rant.
Oh, and I understand that the DRIVERS will have to pay for this ! True socialism at work.
Alan Douglas
Posted by: Alan Douglas | November 16, 2011 6:11 AM