Govt considers mandatory cameras in all HK taxis

The government says it will consult the taxi trade this year on whether it should be made mandatory for all their vehicles to have surveillance and dash cameras installed. Planned "premium taxi fleets" will be required to have such cameras in place, and some lawmakers say the requirement should be extended to all cabs in the city. At a Legco meeting on Wednesday, councillors Junius Ho and Ben Chan said such a move would protect the interests of passengers and the public in general. Unionist lawmaker Michael Luk said many places, including the mainland, Australia and New Zealand, make it mandatory for cameras to be installed inside taxis and he sees no reason why Hong Kong can't follow suit. But Transport Secretary Lam Sai-hung said the government would first have to study the matter. "We have to look at the mode of operation of taxis, if the measures can actually protect the taxi drivers and passengers' privacy concerns, as well as maintenance and repair of the cameras and the cost of transmission of data and so on," he told legislators. "Please be rest assured that within this year, we will consult the trade about this." Lam said officials will next month extend invites to companies interested in forming premium taxi fleets, which the government hopes will provide better quality services than regular cabs.