A Transport Security Camera offers extra safety for both passengers and drivers, and they’re required by law in Passenger Transport Vehicles across Australia. Most Taxi drivers & owners lease cameras from their network for an approximate fee of $60 per month. That quickly adds up to over $2,100 after just 3 years of operating a taxi, with lease payments still required going forward. Transport Security Cameras’ ethos is that drivers should have affordable alternatives to leasing cameras that are required by law to operate. This is why we introduced the ‘CCC Mark 1’ camera to the market. Most taxis, cabs and official transport vehicles only need one external transport security camera on the drivers side in order to capture any event outside of the vehicle. The addition of another external security camera on the passenger side of the vehicle will only add more safety and a larger viewable area around the vehicle giving taxi drivers and passengers peace of mind. Our complete ‘Taxi Security Camera kit’ includes a CCC Mark 1 internal camera, a CCC Mark 1 external camera, and mobile digital video recorder box (MDVR) for $1,450 total. This is the same price it would cost to lease for just over two years of operation making it a great option for taxi owners and long-term drivers. For the last 10 years, Arjay, one of our clients, has been paying his network $55/month for his camera. That’s a whopping $6600! He purchased his own camera kit from us for $1,350 and no longer has to pay that monthly camera fee. How does recording work? Approved cameras aren’t like regular ‘dash cams’ - they’re not used to document the trip or for the driver to keep. All footage is recorded onto an encrypted SD card and footage is available for download at approved locations across Australia only if an incident is reported. This secure way of recording and accessing footage ensures maximum privacy for drivers and passengers, as footage isn’t monitored, or even viewed unless it is required. Our approved cameras begin recording as soon as the vehicle is turned on and continues recording 30 minutes at the conclusion of a journey before automatically switching off. Rideshare vehicles don’t yet require this type of securely monitored surveillance, and unapproved internal facing cameras pose security and confidentiality risks to both drivers and passengers. In some states such as Queensland, it is even illegal. Here at Transport Security Cameras, we’re very clued into the requirements for each state and territory so give us a call for any guidance you need. You can also check up on the requirements for your state at the government sites below:
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Due to the anonymous nature of rank or hail work, WA's Department of Transport will require all Passenger Transport Vehicles to be fitted with a government approved camera surveillance unit (CSU).
By 1 July 2021:
When a taxi driver accepts a rank or hail job, limited trip details (such as passenger contact information) are recorded. In contrast, on-demand charter PTVs can only accept pre-booked work. This means that trip details are known prior to the driver accepting the job, and detailed records of who hired the vehicle, who drove the vehicle and the vehicle itself are recorded. The lack of information about drivers and passengers calls for improved security to keep everyone safe. CSUs in PTVs other than rank or hail (taxis) Though CSUs are only mandated for taxis, the Regulations do apply some requirements to the use of CSUs in other categories of PTV. If a CSU is installed in a PTV other than a taxi:
The list of approved cameras on the WA DoT website includes our CCC Mark 1 Camera - the most cost effective camera surveillance unit for passenger transport vehicles. For several years now the Taxi industry has had to install mandatory security cameras in their vehicles. The reason for this legislation is for two reasons;
Why transport security cameras should be installed in all rideshare vehicles Currently, there is no law requiring rideshare drivers to install transport security cameras in their vehicles. This can only be a matter of time as more and more incidences of discrimination, sexual, verbal & physical assault and damage are reported. A safety report released by Uber in 2018 showed that in that year alone, nearly 6,000 passenger sexual assaults occurred which included 464 instances of rape. This does not include the many instances that were not reported. A union survey conducted in Australia found a staggering 17% of drivers experienced some form of verbal or sexual assault from passengers. In Queensland, Transport security cameras are also mandatory in taxi, limousine & ride-booking vehicles where any cash or credit card transactions are taking place. This is to protect the driver from an incidence where a customer refuses to pay after the service has been conducted whilst also protecting the passenger. It is clear to see that both passengers and drivers deserve to be in an environment where both parties can feel safe which is why the inclusion of a transport security camera can be of such benefit. Other reasons to include a transport security camera are;
Issues around the cost of implementing a security camera have arisen with representatives from Uber stating that drivers won’t be able to afford the cost as half of all drivers only drive around 10 hours a week. This problem can be avoided whereby a driver that decides to install a transport security camera in their vehicle can operate as an independent operator and add a slight premium to passengers who no doubt will be happy to incur the cost knowing their safety is now a priority. Rideshare drivers should want to have a transport security in their vehicle for their own protection whilst passengers too should be insisting on rideshare operators like Uber, Didi and Ola to make it mandatory for security camera installation. 1 https://theconversation.com/ubers-data-revealed-nearly-6-000-sexual-assaults-does-that-mean-its-not-safe-128689
2https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/nov/15/australian-rideshare-drivers-found-to-be-earning-12-an-hour-and-at-risk-of-harassment-and-assault 3 https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/business-industry/Taxi-and-limousine/Industry-information/Taxi/Personalised-transport-vehicle-security-cameras 4 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-16/uber-taxis-ride-booking-new-laws-security-cameras-queensland/8528356 |