SINGAPORE: Two-thirds of Singapore residents agree that vehicles such as taxis, private hire cars and limousines should be allowed to install inward-facing cameras, according to online poll results released on Thursday (Jun 6).
Such devices, commonly known as “in-car cameras”, are allowed in taxis, private hire cars and limousines, provided they meet the guidelines set by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) regarding the installation and use.
READ: Taxis, private-hire vehicles can have inward-facing video cameras from Jun 22: LTA
READ: Taxi passengers voice concerns on privacy erosion with proposed inward cameras
Of those who responded to the poll, 64 per cent said they agreed, while 22 per cent said they do not. The remaining said they are not sure.
In a Facebook post, Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and Transport Janil Puthucheary said LTA will take these poll results into consideration when they review the regulations on in-car cameras in the coming months.
“Only authorised data controllers such as Government agencies and operators will be allowed access to support investigations and enforcement efforts,” he added.
The Ministry of Communications and Information’s (MCI) feedback and engagement unit REACH, which commissioned the poll, said about nine in 10 of those surveyed think these devices help protect the interest of both commuters and drivers.
“They felt that video recordings with audio are helpful for enforcement against inappropriate or violent behaviour,” REACH said.
Among those who agreed that the cameras should be allowed to record audio and video, about 40 per cent also believe there are enough regulations in place to safeguard privacy and avoid personal data leaks, while 25 per cent said they are not concerned about their conversations being recorded or their face captured on video.
Reach commissioned the online poll to gauge public sentiments on the use of in-vehicle cameras, it said. It was conducted with 1,000 Singapore residents, aged at least 15 years old, between Mar 15 and 22.
In February, a fare argument between a Gojek driver and a passenger went viral after video footage of the incident was shared on social media websites.
