Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 April 2026
324. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Transport if consideration has been given to having CCTV installed in taxis in the interest of passenger and driver safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29498/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including the provision of CCTV in taxis, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Consolidated Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. I have no role in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV sector.
The Programme for Government 2025 contains a commitment on passenger safety to “expand the list of offences leading to permanent disqualification for transport drivers and enhance safety by supporting the provision of CCTV in taxis.” The current position regarding CCTV cameras in taxis is that they are not mandatory and it is at the discretion of the individual driver as to whether they wish to install such equipment in their cabs.
If they wish, SPSV licence holders can choose to install CCTV in their vehicle. Any licence holder considering the installation of CCTV equipment that records video and/or audio of passengers, should familiarise themselves with the Data Protection Commission’s “Guidance on the use of CCTV”. Where a driver decides to install CCTV, the driver is likely to be considered a “data controller” and therefore required to inform passengers of the CCTV system being in use and to store and protect the data appropriately. Controllers have a range of obligations under data protection law and the Data Protection Commission’s website provides further details on the principles and responsibilities involved.
The focus of Ireland’s SPSV regulatory framework is on consumer protection and personal safety. The objective is to ensure that passengers have a safe vehicle for their journey, with appropriate insurance in place, driven by a driver who has been vetted by An Garda Síochána (AGS) and has successfully completed their SPSV Driver Entry Skills Test.
Other existing SPSV safeguards include:
• The Transport for Ireland (TfI) Driver Check App which enables passengers to compare their actual driver to the photograph of the registered driver on the App.
• NTA vehicle standards that require clear glass to be adjacent to every seat to enable passengers to see who is in the vehicle, front and rear, and this enables enforcement agencies and the public to see what is happening inside the vehicle which protects both passengers and drivers.
• Joint enforcement operations undertaken by the NTA and AGS.
