IN THE story reporting on the threatened strike by cabbies over the fitting of CCTV in cars (Wednesday’s Oxford Mail), one member of the taxi/private hire community said it would be a cheap way of checking on private hire drivers plying for fares.

While legally I realise they cannot do this, in practice it does happen, and I have witnessed it myself.

If only the public were to understand that the vehicles’ insurance is invalidated if this occurs, maybe then they would either correctly book a private hire vehicle, or flag down a hackney cab. CCTV has long been in use on other forms of public transport, so why not taxis?

Not only is it protection for the public, it is also protection for the drivers themselves, against robbery, attack or false allegations of assault.

The drivers go on to whinge about the cost (£400 per vehicle), but I’m sure that a deal could be done with suppliers for a large discount for bulk orders.

CCTV, if correctly fitted, could also be used as evidence in the event of collisions, and insurance companies may well offer discounts to premiums.

I would rather use a cab fitted with CCTV, for my personal peace of mind.

D Cameron-Young, Villeboys Close, Abingdon