From Monday, ComfortDelGro will spend three months to install in-car cameras in its fleet of 16,600 taxis, reported The Straits Times. ComfortDelGro will become the first cab operator here to have cameras installed in all its cabs, after gaining approval from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) last year.
At $388 each for a camera, the total installation will cost ComfortDelGro at least $6.4 million, and will be absorbed by the firm.
The China made J002B devices are equipped with a 140-degree focus lens and a 2.7-inch LCD screen. Additionally they contain a 'low-light' recording function and will only record incidents occurring outside the cab.
According to The Straits Times, a company statement issued yesterday read the cameras cannot be adjusted to face inwards, so passengers need not worry that their privacy will be compromised.
Mr Yang Ban Seng, ComfortDelGro's Taxi Business Chief Executive, said the move will protect its drivers as the cameras "help to establish clearly the liability in the event of an accident" and went on to add that the installation will encourage drivers to practise safe driving.
The cameras will be mounted behind the rearview mirror and will activate as soon as the engine is switched on. A sensor can activate one-minute video recordings when it detects sudden shocks to the taxi but there are no voice-recording features. Some cab drivers who already have a camera installed can continue using them until they are damaged.
