Taxis in Catalonia will begin installing CCTV cameras

The Catalan Data Protection Authority (APDCAT) has made it legal to install CCTV cameras in the region’s taxis to prevent attacks on drivers. At the same time, they must comply with the «principles and guarantees of data protection rules».

In particular, passengers should be warned about video surveillance through an information poster. In addition, drivers are instructed to turn on their cameras only if a dangerous situation arises. Data collected in this way can be stored for a maximum of one month. And in the absence of criminal behavior, it is recommended to delete videos daily. If verbal or physical aggression towards the driver is detected, the footage will be available to the competent authorities within 72 hours.

The presence of video cameras as a safety measure for drivers and passengers is already used in other types of public transport in Barcelona — on buses and some trains.

The debate over installing cameras inside taxis became a priority after a Barcelona driver reported sexual misconduct by a passenger in January 2024. But even before this, the statistics of attacks on drivers of these vehicles looked depressing. In 2022 345 relevant complaints were filed, and in 2023 — 373. Of these, 90% were related to crimes against property, and 7% were related to bodily injury. This prompted Barcelona’s professional taxi association, Elite Taxi, to raise the issue of installing cameras inside the car.

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Photo from elperiodico.com