London Cabs to TAPE ALL Conversations - drivers told to install the £460 devices by 2015 or have their licenses revoked -
Plans to fit all taxis operating in the city of Oxford with audio recording devices have been branded a “staggering invasion of privacy” prompting calls for the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to investigate how widespread the use of microphones on public transport has become.
Taxi drivers in the university town have been told that they need to install the £460 devices by 2015 or face having their licenses revoked. The microphones, accompanied by CCTV cameras, will activate once the ignition in the car is turned on and will remain recording for 30 minutes after the engine is turned off.
The council says the recording equipment is necessary to protect drivers and passengers as well as deal with any disputes over fares. Recorded information would only be accessible to the police or council officials.
But privacy campaigners say the plans represent a significant “ramping up” of surveillance culture in Britain and may well be in breach of Government guidelines.
“This is a staggering invasion of privacy being done with no evidence, no consultation and a total disregard for civil liberties,” said Nick Pickles, director of Big Brother Watch. “To my knowledge this is the first time a council has brought in audio recording equipment like this in taxis.”
James Welch, legal director for Liberty added: "Local Authorities have fallen foul of public anger and the law in relation to CCTV before - we urge anybody concerned about the legal position to get in touch with Liberty"
Big Brother Watch has since complained to the ICO which confirmed last night that it was investigating the proposals.
Two Oxford bus companies, however, already use audio recording on some of their routes. The Oxford Bus Company confirmed that some of its newer CCTV cameras have their microphones turned one in the driver’s compartment whilst Stagecoach said it was trialling microphones on its “Oxford Tube” service to London.
Philip Kirk, the Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company said: “All our buses are fitted with CCTV and many of them also record sound at the entrance. In general we have found that CCTV works well to protect our passengers and our drivers.”
The exact extent of microphone use on public transport is not known. But one official involved in the sale of CCTV told the Independent: “It’s not unusual. Many of the newer devices have audio record options. Most of the time it is used to record conversations between, say, a bus driver and the passenger at the point of entry. It’s unusual for private conversations to be recorded.”
Other audio equipment that has been given the go-ahead in the past include panic buttons and noise sensors which only turn the microphones on in certain circumstances such as when someone is shouting or if a driver fears they are in danger.
London Transport, which operates a fleet of more than eight thousand buses in a city with considerably higher crime rates than Oxford, said it had no audio devices on its buses and no plans to bring them in.
The government’s guidelines on CCTV make it clear that audio recording can only be used in very limited circumstances.
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