The Government will look at using regulation similar to Australia's in a proposal to make it mandatory to have security cameras in the majority of New Zealand taxis.
Transport Minister Stephen Joyce said he was to recommend to Cabinet within the next month introducing a rule change to beef up taxi driver security in response to growing violence against drivers, including two killings in Christchurch and Auckland in recent times.
The proposal has the support of the New Zealand Taxi Federation and most of the country's taxi companies, with the only concern being the cost -- estimated to be between $1000 and $1500 per vehicle -- which would equate to fare increases of about 30 cents a ride.
Mr Joyce said the Government would not help fund the installation of cameras as it would open the way for a variety of private companies to seek government funding for their own security measures.
New Zealand Taxi Federation executive director Tim Reddish said he was pleased the plan would go to Cabinet and hoped it would get support.
Such measures had had proven results in parts of Australia, having helped reduce attacks by up to 75 percent in Queensland.
Mr Joyce said the plan required rule changes rather than legislation, and was likely to take several months, although some of the larger companies were likely to move quickly to get the cameras in once they had certainty around rules and specifications.
In Australia there were camera exemptions for towns in which fewer than 10 taxis operated, and Mr Joyce said similar exemptions were proposed here for smaller towns where closer communities meant the risk of attacks was marginal.
He said the installation of security screens, which were common in some Australian states, was considered, but there were many negatives including difficulties installing them in certain models, interference with existing fittings and concern from drivers about the anti-social element they presented.
Mr Joyce and Mr Reddish admitted it was a shame that it took fatal attacks to prompt the changes, but before then, talks of such changes and the associated costs had received only a lukewarm response from many taxi operators.
Christchurch taxi driver Abdulrahman Ikhtiari was stabbed to death while on the job in December 2008, and there was a similar fatal attack on Auckland driver Hiren Mohini 13 months later.
The general attitude towards safety from drivers had changed markedly since the killings, Mr Reddish said.
