CCTV cameras fitted in all Craven taxis by next month is to be revisited following calls for their installation to be put on hold.

Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore has joined more than 100 taxi drivers in appealing to Craven District Council to reconsider making it policy for all vehicles to have safety cameras, which cost around £500, fitted by April.

“I fully understand the need for CCTV cameras in licensed vehicles for both the protection of taxi drivers and passengers alike,” said the Conservative MP.

“This issue has been raised with me by a number of local taxi drivers. I do, however, believe that the council should again consider postponing the introduction of these cameras due to the ongoing effect that coronavirus is having on the industry as a whole.

“A local group of taxi drivers have come up with a reasonable time scale which I would urge Craven District Council to consider.”

There are currently130 hackney carriages and 15 private hire vehicles operating in Craven and the cost of installing cameras for the drivers has been put at between £450 and £600.

In January, the council’s licensing committee agreed to make it policy for all taxis to have CCTV fitted for the safety of both drivers and passengers by April. Members at the time said while trade was affected by the coronavirus pandemic, the economy would ‘bounce back’ and pointed out they had been discussing bringing in the policy for about three years.

Councillor Peter Madeley, said while taxi drivers agreed CCTV needed to be introduced, for both their and the public’s safety, now was not the time.

Cllr Madeley, said many of the drivers were in his Skipton ward, and were struggling financially due to the pandemic.

"People are finding it very hard and we need to help. They agree with CCTV, but it is a matter of timing. They are currently earning £20 to £30 per day and out of that comes the cost of petrol," he said.

At last week's full council meeting Cllr Madeley was told CCTV would be discussed at the next licensing committee on April 6, almost a week after the policy was to start.

Cllr Madeley was also told no taxi driver would be penalised in the meantime.

Cllr Simon Myers, chairman of licensing, told Cllr Madeley that it was unfortunate that representations had not been made earlier and not just more than a month before it was due to be brought in, but the policy would be re-visited.

He explained that taxi drivers and firms had been made aware of the licensing agenda in January, which included the CCTV policy, and requests had been made by the licensing officer for details of earnings, to inform the committee, but had not been forthcoming.

"We have received correspondence from various taxi firms, a petition and by a large number of taxi drivers and we have undertaken to discuss it at the next licensing meeting on April 6," he said.

“We have always entered into dialogue with taxi drivers, and we are always interested in being as fair as we can."

In response to Cllr Madeley's question that no action would be taken against any taxi driver who had failed to have CCTV fitted by the start of April, Cllr Myers said: "I know out there in the public people sometimes think we are unreasonable, believe me we are not going to start forcing people on April 1 knowing that we are having a meeting on April 6. We don’t want to be unduly harsh with anybody, we will look at it again."

He added that it was unfortunate that representations had been left so late, including the petition, signed by more than 100 people and too late to be presented at full council.

“ It is unfortunate that four or five weeks before it is due to come in that we get these representations but that will not stop us from considering it," he said.