Seems the taxi drivers are still restive. Sent this fine example of leaflets circulating amongst RPHDA members and others, thought readers should see this too:
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Rotherham Politics
Robust scrutiny of all things political around Rotherham and beyond. Speaking truth to power since 2008
Rotherham Politics 
Wow, they really want to stop the taxman from seeing there real earnings
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Why shoudn’t they fight to keep their perks?
Tax evasion, benefit fraud and the freedom to use their taxis, not always with the correct, or even a licensed, driver, for those purposes, CCTV of the right kind, would put a stop to!
Surely the RPHDA can’t be defending any of the above, can they?
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That goes a long way to explain why a small town like Rotherham supports, as many taxi drivers as it does, 1200 I believe?
If the RPHDA fails ot repudiate this criminality within their ranks, and works to eradicate it, we will know they are a bogus organisation, an equivalent of ‘the Emperor with no clothes’!
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contrary to the headline I think that the reason Rotherham has such a problem with CSE is that certain taxi drivers mattered a little too much
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Asbo, a thugish, unscrupulous, nonentity with a big mouth and a lightning reflex for playng the race card has had far too much of his activities covered up. It’s up to “everyone ” who wants to see good governance in this town to do whatever they can to ensure he is never able to return to the council.
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Malcontent, I don’t know about ensuring he is never able to return to the council, he should NEVER be allowed to walk our street again. If he is not jailed, as he should be, he should be kicked out of this country along with ALL his family. I don’t care whether they were born here or not, they are NOT welcome.
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Anyone who adds to this fund is only protecting peados and tax dodgers.
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Sureley the sums they are asking for would pay for the cameras in their cabs! Thus proving that an cost isn’t the issue after all!!!
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There are certain people who use this website and blog who will be very surprised to know that some of the drivers who want to put into this fund are drivers who drive for the companies 1st Class (based in Rawmarsh) and Crystal (based in Dalton), both of whom have predominantly white drivers on their books.
Now that i’ve told you all that fact you can all carry on as normal.
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What has ethnicity got to do with it? Like Mohammed Ali, we are all colour blind.
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You’re not narrow minded Rik but a lot of people who post on this blog are. I continually read ‘this is an Asian problem, a pakistani problem, a Kashmiri problem, a Mirpuri problem even’
Well now as drivers of all races need to buy new cars now they’re up in arms. I know the white drivers were not the cause of the towns CSE problem but a lot of them are angry too that they feel the council don’t seem to be listening to any taxi driver of any race and intent on bulldozing these changes in.
I merely stated a fact above. I don’t want to go into opinions because i’m well aware that they do not resonate with your readers so i’m just going to try to talk in facts from now on.
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Is Akhtar behind this
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When is ASBO gonna get sent down?
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A record will be kept of who contributes. Don’t
suppose there will be any pressure on any driver that declines to,
will there.
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this mob did the same with the landlord scheme and still lost . bent as butchers hooks .
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Can they legally use the RMBC heading to promote their cause?
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If it’s copyright let’s hope the council sues and depletes their funds.
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I think the amount of users who love to jump in and assume every taxi driver is a paedophile and tax dodger.
Obviously I also realise most users who write in with negative views actually know nothing of this industry, so I’ll educate you.
This industry has been affected by the minority throughout the country which is now going to affect the majority and as much as the majority of drivers are shocked by these atrocities conflicted on innocent children.
I have been in this industry for 23 years and yes I’m a white English driver and love my job but object to the cost imposed on me, I have done nothing wrong and I don’t even work the Rotherham area and yet will be affected by the government commissioners decisions.
Why didn’t the council at the time sort this or the police? Why?
Being hardline now towards the vast majority who are law abiding citizens is rather harsh and while I believe these disgusting drivers who did what they did should be shot in my opinion the new laws being imposed should be reviewed and negotiations between the commissioners should start again to create a happy medium throughout.
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But as a law abiding citizen, as you good colleagues in Rotherham did not do, did you report any misconduct by your fellow taxi drivers, or simply turn a blind eye. It’s too late bleating about the costs, of these new rule changes, when they would’ve been imposed if you fellow taxi drivers had respected their customers, in particular , their children. You only have yourselves to blame. And it wasn’t a few, quite a lot were involved or kept quiet.
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Many taxi drivers are also knocking drugs out not when they have cameras
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Why can’t they accept this is best for everyone concerned not just us the public but if they have nothing to hide themselves as well the rmbc councillors whom in the past gave out licences like confetti without any safeguards should be ashamed of themselves
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“Secret Taxi Driver”, shut up bleating on, the white taxi driver’s don’t fiddle the system like the majority of Pakistani do, they don’t have houses to rent out to top up their fiddled incomes so it most likely will hit them harder. Everyone knows the only reason you want to halt all this is because none of you Pakistani drivers want the taxman to know what what you really earn. Am I right “Secret Taxi Driver”? of course I am , aren’t I?
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You’re one of the biggest muppets who post on here Rotherman with your generalisation and wild theories.
I’ve one house that me and my family live in. I pay tax. I have records. Unlike you I deal in facts and not fiction.
If you really think that there aren’t white drivers who fiddle the system, clock back their mileage, claim benefits and maybe even have several houses out for rent, then you, like some of the other morons who post on here are very very naive. Now be a good boy Rothermuppet, and stop your narrow minded generalisation unless you have concrete facts about any driver or company in particular, in which case report those facts to the relevant authorities.
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I’ll be a good boy secret taxi driver when all Rotherham taxi are fitted with cctv wether you like iy or not. You’re starting to get a bit rattled I see, resorting to insults. Whats wrong starting to see your scams being eroded away. I didn’t say you just 90% of you.
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There you go again “Secret Taxi Driver” resorting to insults when you know you’re wrong. I’ve never insulted you at all it just show’s how very scared you are about having your finances looked into…… Doesn’t it???
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Can I add a viewpoint ? Will the RMBC be disclosing where this data will be kept , where will it be stored , how long for, who will view it so on and so forth. Will data vanish upon investigation of any council cronies? One viewpoint on this is that perhaps videotaping passengers is an infringement of their civil liberties if they were intoxicated and were not capable of making an informed decision on whether or not they wished to be recorded . My concern is that a child abuser , taxi driver or otherwise is typically inherently sly and devious and will simply groom a child using another means once a potential victim has been identified , they will just be more careful.
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Jean: consent is not needed, all that is re
quired is a notice in the cab saying cctv in operation. Once lengthy sentences have been handed out to the culprits they should at
least have some deterrent effect.
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Anonymous ,thankyou for your reply.
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It is not as easy as fixing a sign in your vehicle which tells passengers that CCTV is fitted and used.
All operators of black cabs and private hire cars in the town can fit their vehicles with cameras, although CCTV in cabs is not mandatory. The data protection and privacy watchdog the Information Commissioner provides advice on how images captured by cameras could be used appropriately.
In line with the Data Protection Act, any taxi operator using CCTV would become data controller for images caught on camera and have the responsibility to ensure that an individual’s privacy was protected.
A policy for using CCTV in cars and taxis could stipulate:
– taxis and private hire care must have a clearly displayed sign that indicates CCTV is in use,
– images captured by CCTV can only be retained for 31 days,
– footage or images must be securely stored at all time and never be downloaded to portable devices such as memory sticks or CDs,
– police, licensing officers and insurance investigators can only view footage or images following a request in writing,
– individuals can view footage or image if they are a subject of a recording.
CCTV systems which record conversations between passengers is optional .However, sound recording could be justified where there is a specific threat to driver or passenger safety and recording is triggered by a ‘panic button’.
The installation and operation of CCTV must comply with the requirements of the Information Commissioner’s CCTV Code of Practice..
All equipment must comply with any legislative requirements in respect of Motor Vehicle
Construction and Use Regulations.
All equipment must meet all requirements as regards safety, technical acceptability and
operational/data integrity.
All equipment must be designed, constructed and installed in such a way and in such materials as to present no danger to passengers or driver, including impact with the equipment in the event of a collision or danger from the electrical integrity being breached through vandalism, misuse, or wear and tear.
Secret Taxi Driver makes some valid points and it would be unwise IMV to label all taxi drivers as crooks. Such allegations are sweeping generalisations which demeans the writers and taxi drivers.
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The young girls that were sexually abused for years were demeaned, humiliated and ignored by the authorities and getting belated justice for them should be the priority now, never mind the sensitivities of taxi drivers. As for Secret taxi driver, methinks he protest too much.
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@Anonymous.
With respect, the thread is about CCTV in taxi’s and private hire vehicles and the reactions of the RPHDA.
The questions/accusations about who knew what about CSE in Rotherham and when will be subjects for debate for the next 10 years IMHO.
Most threads on this blog drift off topic onto CSE which has been commented on time after time. You have had numerous comments of yours published about CSE and while I agree it is an emotive issue why do you find it difficult to stay on topic?
Nosce te ipsum.
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“Secret Taxi Driver” protest because he knows the games up for the fiddlers and scammers at last.
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@ Colin ….. CSE is the very reason why there is talk of fitting CCTV in taxis … so I think that Anonymous is on topic …. and as you like Latin ….. Omnia Causa Fiunt .
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Colin, I’m always willing to accept constructive criticisms , but my last post was in response to earlier posts so please ” sine me et adorabunt me tulistis”. I usually try to use my user name for my posts, but at present I am having to use a smart tv, which is very restricting, hence the use of anonymous which I disapprove of.
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Never mind the bloody CCTV, after some of the things I have witnessed this weekend we will need to be travelling with a security guard sat in the boot.
It someone wants to cause trouble between the hours of 10pm and 6am on a Friday night / Saturday morning or Saturday night / Monday morning then they don’t care less about the CCTV. I’ve had to lie that i’ve got CCTV in the car to try to defuse THREE separate incidents recently and the response was the same from the passengers every time ‘So f*****g what!’
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@1st Time user
Very droll………………………..
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Secret taxi driver, may I make a suggestion? You don’t want the taxman to know what you’re earning, you don’t want a cctv system in your car which would show this, you don’t like taxi driving at night because you get threatened. Here’s my suggestion “GET ANOTHER JOB”!
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Bloody hell Rothermuppet you seem a bit obsessed with me despite me saying on multiple occasions that I pay all my tax and haven’t got anything to hide.
As for telling me to get another job it’s tantamount to saying I should expect poor behaviour from night time passengers and should just grin and bear it or something. You really are a complete and utter moron. You’re not part of the solution here, you’re part of the problem
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Hope their legal advice is better than when the same people were a group of angry Kashmiri landlords? Cost many tens of thousands of pounds on that occasion!
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If your a Taxi driver and you want to work on fri – sun nights…Then you should expect the usual drunken behavior from individuals who are out spending there hard earned money from working and paying taxes. Yes they get drunk and disorderly and if your lucky one of them might even vomit on your car..but that’s a £50 bonus isn’t it.
Get out and find another job if you don’t like it.. Simples.
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Well said Anonymous.
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