Private hire chauffeurs are likely to be made exempt from the new rules being brought in by Oxford Council which will make it compulsory for all taxis to have in-car CCTV cameras installed to record all journeys to ensure the safety of passengers and drivers alike.

However the council is set to decide in the coming week whether private hire chauffeurs are to be made an exception to the rule as the private hire industry argues that all of their clients are known to them, pre-book their cars, and all hold accounts with their company so the inclusion of CCTV cameras in chauffeur cars would be unnecessary.

One chauffeur company owner added that his clients would be unhappy travelling in a car which was recording their every move on camera, and that many would flatly refuse to get in a car with cameras.

The Oxford council decided to implement the new rule after noting an increase in the number of complaints it received regarding sexual assaults and attacks on drivers in taxis. However some civil liberties groups are against the move to install cameras in every taxi in the city and are calling it a major invasion of privacy.

While the council is considering allowing private hire chauffeurs to be exempt from the new rule, the CCTV camera legislation will still apply to the 521 private hire vehicles and 107 hackney carriages operating in the city.