Castle
 Inverness Taxi and Private hire Association
 

 

Taxi

 

 

 

 Rank News 

 

Taxi News
We will not be permitted to go through the bus stands or park outside the ticket office.
But we will still have right of way through the service road to the Margaret Street ranks.
Some of you may have heard that Stagecoach want to take our ranks away from us on Margaret Street to park buses on, This won’t happen they bought The Bus Station not Margaret Street, It comes under the Queens Highway as all public roads do and if they try it on I’ll fight them in fact I have already Cast The First Stone it and have spoken to David Hass city centre manager.
The newly created evening ranks (5) spaces at Poundstreacher 7pm To 7am is going to get new signage, I spoke to Mike Stevens tech service 2 weeks ago and he has agreed to put in a stainless steel pole and a big sign to deter general public.
For those who have not noticed H.C Lighting Dept have now installed the seagull anti fouling device on the lamp standard at the station rank at least that works! ! !

 

Inverness Taxi and Private Hire Association
Making Things Happen For You
General Recap on Friday 26th

Events at the Town Centre and Caley Stadium

A tremendous turnout was held by the drivers at the Town House where we were interview by Craig Anderson "Reporting Scotland," Moray Firth Radio and The P and J we think we got our point across.
We had overwhelming support from the general public on foot and motorist sounding their horns, even The Fire Tender gave blast on the siren.
We then moved onto Academy Street where again the support was fantastic from the general public with shouts of "go get them" Theirs to many off you!!! But a special thank you to the duty manager of The Filling Station who fed us with three large pizza's on the house. And the many drivers on the ranks who got out between runs and joined us by holding a banner.
At 3pm we held a Rally of drivers at the Caley Stadium to inform drivers once again that they were not permitted by law to hold a "Rolling Road" blockade and to also inform them of the rank space meeting we had at the Town House with Donald Somerville and Mike Elsey (see attached report) however the police arrived and only allowed 4 to 5 vehicles to leave the car park every 3-5 minutes. We feel that when we officially carry on with the legal vehicle demonstration the same actions will be adopted by the police and it is felt that such actions will give us little or no effect but we have to do things in a strict order, that way we will not leave ourselves open to public criticism.
I have been asked many times what do we do if it doesn't work and the fed back has been unanimous for withdrawal of services from all operational ranks possibly at midnight until Sam on a given weekend but this is not the committee's decision and a vote of all drivers would

Have to be taken before we proceed with the planning. The TV news crews and reporters prepared to cover filming the chaos in the City. We are to keep in touch.
When such a vote has taken place and a date fixed please keep it to yourself by a lightening pull off we don't want the Council or police to make arrangements for emergency bus crews to be on standby and pre-empt this action should you all vote in its favour.
The highland Council will have to come to the negotiating table before the 28th December 2009 because if we don't reach agreement by then All will be lost due to an "Eu services Directive" which makes it unlawful for the Highland council to cap the plates and restrict would-be new driver/operators
For too long me (your Chairman) even when just an association member has listened sometimes in disgust at the old clichés!
What do I get for me £12? (Tax-deductible)
2. Why should I join the association it doesn't do anything!!! I can only hope the recent action will persuade you otherwise.
Your association committee under my leadership is working extremely hard for you all, trying to gain more full-time rank spaces objecting to ridiculous road orders (Castle Wynd) and not giving up on the fight to cap the issue of plates to name but a few (Excludes wheelchair accessible).
To achieve greater working facilities which will enable you to enjoy a greater financial return for the hours you work.
So if you are not a member join us now!!! (Safety in numbers)

 

Taxi Cams

I am awaiting a meeting with Police Area Commander, C.l. Julian Innes, to discuss level of funding available and the appropriate way forward (see website). Once a level of funding has been established along with a bottom line figure for the supply and installation of the units a further open meeting will be held where it is hoped that an officer from Trading Standards and either C.l. Julian Innes or his Data-Protection Officer will attend to deal with any legal aspects. The technical manager from Verifeye has already agreed to fly to Inverness with a demonstration unit once a date and time has been arranged.

Frequently Asked Questions
How does the TaxiCam take pictures?
The TaxiCam has two basic modes of operation - "on" and "sleep" (sometimes referred to as "stand-by"). Images are captured continuously at 1 frames per second per camera any time the TaxiCam is "on". If the TaxiCam does not receive a trigger input for a certain period of time (typically 20 minutes after the ignition is turned off) the controller will go into the "sleep" mode. In the "sleep" mode the current drain on the battery is approximately 2mA. The TaxiCam will take less than 1 second from the time it receives any trigger (e.g. door open) to when it is "on" and continuously capturing images at 2 frames per second.
How does the TaxiCam record pictures?
Images are recorded in response to (up to) 6 independent "event triggers". The 4 most common "event triggers" are:
Driver's panic button
Door (usually "door open"; usually connected to the "door ajar indicator" circuit or the dome light circuit and activated by any door)
Taximeter (usually "meter on" and "meter off")
Ignition (provides a "background picture" every 100 seconds, for example, whenever the ignition is on but no other trigger is present).
Typical additional "event triggers" are:
g-force (heavy braking)
g-force (excessive acceleration)
g-force (excessive cornering)
Brake application
Comfort switch
The 'event triggers' are programmed using the Installation Software.
How many pictures does the TaxiCam store?
Images are stored on an industrial grade compact flash (CF) card in the "controller". The memory is expandable from 256MB up to 16GB. The system stores between 10,000 and 600,000 images depending on the size of memory. Images are automatically erased & overwritten, on a first-in/first-out basis, after a number of days, depending upon the operational usage of the vehicle.
Does TaxiCam record sound?
Yes, there are versions capable of storing audio. This is an optional extra. We can also store GPS data and even add a G-Force sensor. Then you would be able to hear what happened, see what happened and know exactly where it happened.
What happens if my vehicle is stolen or the power is cut off to the TaxiCam?
TaxiCam will retain images indefinitely without power. So, when your vehicle is eventually recovered (as 95% are), you will have a picture of the person who stole your car.
How long will the TaxiCam last?
TaxiCam was designed from the outset to be ultra-reliable. The average TaxiCam system has an overall expected life in excess of 5 years. The expected life of the individual components are:
Controller -8 years
Industrial Grade Flash Memory -10 years
Extended Life (EL) Camera Head -6 years
Will the pictures deteriorate, as the TaxiCam gets older?
No - the images are stored in flash memory (as encrypted digital files), so, unlike videotape, the last image will be as good as the first.
What maintenance needs to be carried out?
None - there are no moving parts in TaxiCam so it really is a ''fit & forget" surveillance system. Apart from dusting the camera head lens occasionally, we recommend that you call into your installer once a year just to check the system over for your own peace of mind.
The installer will check that all the triggers are working correctly and that the camera is aimed properly.
How do I get the pictures out?
You don't - only Authorised Personnel (such as your local Hackney Licensing Office or the Police) have the Viewing Software to access to the images that are stored in the controller. The many built in security features of the TaxiCam ensure that images will be admissible as evidence in court (i.e. the "chain-of-evidence" will be preserved) and that the privacy of the travelling public will be guaranteed.
Where are the pictures monitored?
Quite simply, they are not monitored with the VerifEye system. The recorded images would only be accessed by downloading, by authorized personnel, following an incident in the vehicle.
What happens if somebody tries to smash or steal the camera head?
We can replace camera heads if they are damaged. In the event that the system is set up to take pictures 'on entry' (i.e. door open trigger), images of the vandals will already have had their pictures taken & stored away before they attempt to damage the camera head.
Can the pictures be used as evidence?
Yes - every image is 'data encrypted' (i.e. tamperproof), which means that the images are 'pure evidence' & can be used in any Court of Law. Each image is printed with the unique electronic serial number (ESN) of the system, the registration number of your vehicle, the date and exact time the image was captured. Systems are also available which will print out the GPS co-ordinates and a map of your vehicle's position at the time of the incident. Successful prosecutions have already taken place using VerifEye images as evidence.
What happens if I change my vehicle?
Re-installation takes approximately 90 - 120 minutes. Re-installation kits (new cables, brackets, warning stickers etc.) are available at a nominal charge. The normal re-installation charge ranges from £45 (dependant upon the number of camera heads and difficulty of installation) but varies across the UK. Your local Authorised VerifEye Dealer will advise you.
I've got a screen partition, will it still work?
The infrared used by the camera is reflected by the partition, so we suggest fitting a system with two individual camera heads. TaxiCam can be fitted with up to 4 cameras.
Do I need to have the interior lights on to take pictures?
No - VerifEye camera heads are equipped with their own built-in array of infrared LED's. High quality images can be captured with absolutely no light at all.
Will it stop 'fare dodgers' & assaults?
Unfortunately you will never eradicate crime against taxi drivers totally. Statistics show that, where the VerifEye system has been installed, reported crime has dropped by a massive 80% and the police "clear up rate" (percentage of successful prosecutions increases by about 70%. The main purpose of any surveillance system is to deter crime from occurring in the first place. However, if an incident does occur, then it is imperative that you have substantial & admissible pictorial evidence to back up any prosecution. TaxiCam is the only system which has been approved worldwide by taxi regulators & police authorities.
Is it safe and approved for use in a vehicle?
Yes. TaxiCam has been certified to the latest EU specifications for in-vehicle electronic equipment. In addition, TaxiCam provides its own low level infrared illumination, so that there is no visible light in the vehicle to distract the driver.

 

locations of the new partime( Evening and full time rank spaces being made available to trade.
Fraser Street 4 nighttime 6pm to 8am at Loading Queengate 2 Permanent at the room
Union Street 5 nighttime 6pm to 8am at the Clydesdale Bank
It is hoped that a further 8 spaces will be created on Academy Street (Full time ) by reducing the width of the pedestrian Island between the abbey Bank and the Ash Bar which will create an additional 3 spaces and to form a cut out in the pathway to Seconds and firsts this will create a further 5 spaces all to be full time.

V. Rawlins (Chairman) Taxi Association

 

Last Update December 5, 2009