Taxi drivers call for screens, cameras to become law

Murdered taxi driver Mr Hiren Mohini (centre ) with his family. Photo / Supplied

Some taxi drivers are calling for perspex screens and security cameras to be compulsory in taxis, following the stabbing of Hiren Mohini.

Mr Mohini, a 39-year-old father of two young girls, was stabbed to death by a passenger in the Auckland suburb of Mt Eden on Sunday morning.

Cab drivers who spoke to nzherald.co.nz at his funeral yesterday said they did not feel safe working at night and it was time for the authorities to act.

Taxi Federation executive director Tim Reddish said there are currently no provisions in New Zealand legislation which cover taxi driver safety.

NZTA confirmed this was the case and spokesman Andy Knackstedt added: "The current law permits cameras or screens to be fitted, but does not require them."

Taxi driver Peter Vengala said he has been stabbed in the back after being called to an address on Auckland's North Shore.

He said a man wearing a mask asked for his money before telling him: "I'm going to kill you".

Mr Vengala said the industry needed to be regulated in the same way Australia is.

Another driver Karamjit Singh has been driving taxis for seven years and said drivers were now scared to work at night.

"At night you cannot keep an eye on the passengers, if they are sitting in the back you can't see what they are up to," Mr Singh said.

He said perspex screens around the drivers were needed to protect them from being attacked by passengers.

Asked if security cameras could also help, Mr Singh said: "The camera can identify but it can't save you."

Another driver, Sahib Singh, said he would be willing to pay the $2000 cost of installing the screens.

"Life is very precious," he said.

"We think the authorities should do something for the safety of drivers," Mr Singh said.

Their concerns have been raised by the Taxi Federation. Speaking yesterday at Mr Mohini's funeral, Mr Reddish said changes were needed in the industry.

"Surely now enough [is] enough ... We must act now to do everything in our collective power to protect vulnerable and defenceless taxi drivers."

Today Mr Reddish said he is advocating for security cameras to be installed in cars which could cost up to $2000. He said safety perspex screens have proved very unpopular amongst drivers in Australia.

The laws around driver safety vary from state to state in Australia but Australian Taxi Industry Association executive director Blair Davies said cameras are compulsory.

He said the new cameras are infra-red and can work in darkness.

Mr Davies said drivers have a duress button which they can press in an emergency. The button enables the camera to take photos every ten seconds and opens a live audio link between the taxi and a call centre.

The images are captured in a mechanism similar to a black box found on an aeroplane and it is fire proof.

"We have had a cab torched but the box was recoverable, the images were available and the person was caught," Mr Davies said.

He said screens must be made available to drivers in Queensland and Melbourne but few drivers use them.

Mr Davies said the screens can interfere with air bags in a crash and can cause head injuries to the passenger behind the driver. He said they also cause problems with air conditioning.

Mr Davies said the screens can make it hard for passengers to talk to drivers and this can be frustrating.

"It increases aggravation and instead of feeling safer, [the driver] feels more aggravated," he said.

Mr Davies said taxis also have GPS devices so police can locate a taxi if the driver is in trouble.

Transport Minister Stephen Joyce will meet with taxi industry officials and the New Zealand Transport Agency on Wednesday to discuss possible changes to driver security.

Mr Joyce was contacted for comment but has so far not returned phone calls.