Government agrees to install cameras in taxis

The latest article of the ammendement to taxi regulations has settled on the installation of in-facing cameras inside taxis, according to the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosário.

On Wednesday, Rosário and the Transport Bureau’s (DSAT) director Lam Hin San met with the Third Standing Committee of the Legislative Assembly (AL) to discuss the regime.

After the meeting, Rosário said that the decision of adding the aforementioned article into the law reached a consensus after thorough consideration and in-depth investigation. He believes that there will be no problem in the implementation of the law.

As explained by the committee chairman Vong Hin Fai, the lawmakers and the government focused on discussing the location where the cameras can be installed in taxis.

The government representatives prefer to mount the lens above the inverted mirror facing the driver and passengers.

Some lawmakers questioned whether it is appropriate to record the faces of the driver and passengers.

They proposed that the camera should be installed at the back of the taxi in order to protect the privacy of both the driver and the passengers.

The government maintains its stance that the camera should film the people from the front.

According to Vong, the recordings will not be uploaded to public organizations. Instead, they will be stored in appropriate storage equipment protected with a password, which shall be set by an authorized bureau or authorized person. The taxi driver will not know the password.

If an investigation is required, the video records can only be obtained after the investigation procedure is filed, and the recordings would only be obtained by investigators authorized by the DSAT director.

The video data will be automatically deleted from the taxi’s black box after 30 days.

Vong believes that the committee can complete the review of the regulation within 10 days.