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:
all taxis in Western Australia must have a CSU that meets the requirements of the 2020 Standards installed, including regional taxis;
authorised ODBSs will be responsible for providing copies of recordings from CSUs when required; and
authorised ODBSs can access CSU recordings for their own use in specific circumstances
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:
a clearly visible sign notifying passengers that they are being recorded must be placed inside the front of the vehicle;
recordings can only be used for authorised purposes as defined in the regulations; and
copies of recordings must be provided to Police or Authorised Officers (such as DoT Education and Compliance Officers) when required.
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.
Comments