There are calls for a UK-wide law for taxis to have CCTV systems as some drivers are operating in different areas to where their licence was issued

A Cambridgeshire councillor is calling on the government to establish a national standard and provide funding support for CCTV installation in taxis. Labour councillor Mohammed Jamil, who is Peterborough City Council’s cabinet member for finance, will present a motion to a full council meeting on December 3.

The motion, to be seconded by Labour councillor Noreen Bi, calls upon the government to provide funding support to help taxi drivers and operators with the cost of installing and maintaining CCTV systems.

It also suggests writing to the Secretary of State for Transport and two local MPs, urging them to support the introduction of a nationally regulated standard for all licensed taxi and private hire vehicles across England and Wales.

“Some local authorities have made installation mandatory, others have left it voluntary, and some have prohibited it altogether,” the motion states.

“These inconsistencies extend to data protection, storage, and access arrangements, resulting in confusion, inequality, and an uneven playing field across the trade.

“In Peterborough, this inconsistency is particularly evident. A significant number of vehicles operating within the city are licensed by neighbouring or even distant local authorities.

“This cross-border licensing means that, even if Peterborough City Council were to adopt a robust CCTV policy, it would apply only to locally licensed vehicles and not to those licensed elsewhere but operating freely within our boundaries.”

It adds: “The government should explore mechanisms such as central funding, grant schemes, or tax relief to support the trade in meeting these requirements.

“A national procurement framework could also ensure uniformity of equipment and cost efficiency, while avoiding undue hardship on small businesses.

“This council believes that the establishment of a single, nationally regulated CCTV standard for all licensed taxi and private hire vehicles would deliver greater consistency, fairness, and public confidence across the industry.

“It would ensure that all passengers, regardless of where they travel, receive the same level of safeguarding and accountability.”

All Peterborough councillors will debate and vote on the motion at the full council meeting on Wednesday.

The motion comes several months after independent Peterborough councillor Daisy Blakemore-Creedon created a petition to make CCTV mandatory in all licensed taxis and private hire vehicles in the UK.

At the time, she wrote: “CCTV can make a real difference. It deters bad behaviour, helps resolve disputes, and gives people more confidence to get home safely, especially late at night.

“Drivers deserve that security too, many work alone, often in vulnerable situations. This is a simple, sensible step that would make a big impact. I believe we owe it to each other to make every journey safer.”

Peterborough Hackney carriage driver Jake Carter previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “If it was to be worked a bit differently where a council took the cost and allowed drivers more flexibility about when the CCTV could be switched on or off, then it might be something the drivers would consider.

“It should be sold as benefiting the drivers as much as benefiting the public.”

In December last year, Peterborough councillors voted to reject proposals which would have required CCTV cameras to be installed in all hackney carriage and private hire vehicles registered with Peterborough City Council.

It came after the vast majority of taxi drivers surveyed by the city council opposed the idea.