United Taxi Group secures funding for CCTV

Story link: United Taxi Group secures funding for CCTV by Jan Harris

United Taxi Group, which operates in Gravesham, has secured £59,000 from the EU’s Urban Thames Gateway Kent fund, to equip taxis with CCTV cameras.

The funding will be matched by a partnership of the drivers themselves, Gravesham Council, the police and the multi-agency Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, giving a total of £118,000.

Taxi drivers in the Kent borough have been calling for the introduction of CCTV in their cabs since the death of colleague Gian Chand Bajar, who was believed to have been run over by his own car.

Over 100 taxi and private hire drivers have registered their interest in equipping their cabs with CCTV, and the Council hopes to starts installing the cameras within weeks.

Drivers will be required to contribute around a fifth of the overall cost. It is expected to cost between £400 and £500 to install a CCTV camera in one vehicle.