Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has made amendments to regulations and extended the deadline for taxis to install dashboard cameras by three months.
The regulations which require taxis to be equipped with dashboard cameras were made public in August 2022. It was decided that the regulations would come into effect within six months. However, the implementation of the regulations on installing cameras in taxis has been postponed for another three months following the current amendments.
The transport ministry said the regulations have been amended to provide more complete and easier options for taxi drivers. The amendment made to Taxi regulations states that dashboard cameras must be installed in all taxis, and the device must have recording turned on during all service hours. The recordings must be kept for at least seven days, according to the regulations. The cameras installed in the taxi must also be able to encrypt and store video on the camera's hard drive and it is prohibited to upload the recorded videos to any other device for the safety of passengers boarding the taxi.
Additionally, the taxi driver must inform passengers that a camera is installed in the taxi and is recording. The amendment also requires video recordings to be overwritten within a maximum of seven days from the date of recording by the cameras installed in taxis and stored within the installed system storage device. The transport ministry has also set a standard for tinted windows in taxis. As such, tinted windows will be allowed if its visible enough for individuals on the side of the road to see the passengers inside.
The amended regulations will come into effect on the expiry of three months from the date of publication of the regulations in the Government Gazette.