Queensland Transport

When the state of Queensland decided to evaluate in-vehicle camera technologies as part of a taxi safety initiative, they had the benefit of the experience gained by five other Australian states that had already implemented highly successful taxi camera programs.  They knew that the earlier camera programs had all resulted in dramatic reductions in taxi crime, and were prepared to manage the various economic, technical, legal and logistic issues that arise in a state-wide roll-out of new technology.  In September 2005, Queensland Transport selected VerifEye Australia Pty. Ltd. as the sole-source supplier of taxi camera systems.  The roll out, involving installation and training in over 3,000 vehicles in 11 regions, occurred through 2006 and was considered a great success by government, industry, police and the public.  By purchasing in bulk, the unit price (including installation) was approximately A$750 less than if the industry had purchased the cameras through dealers.  The Queensland example is a model for other jurisdictions.

The experiences of many jurisdictions indicate that installing cameras in taxis can have a significant crime-reduction effect, but it was also very apparent to Queensland Transport that it is not always an easy or painless process to introduce new technology to the taxi industry.  Issues like reliability, quality, training, installation, and technical support were among the regulator’s major concerns.  Queensland’s hot, humid climate is particularly hard on electronic equipment, making long-term equipment reliability an issue.  Moreover, Queensland is a large state with several remote population centers, which complicate installation, training and support.  The Queensland Police Services were particularly concerned about the image quality - if photos are to be useful for investigation and prosecution, they must be of a satisfactory standard.

The approach taken by Queensland Transport was to seek a sole-source vendor who they felt was best able to provide the quality of equipment and level of support required.  A request for proposals was issued, accompanied by a comprehensive technical requirements specification.  A joint industry/government evaluation team was formed including out-of-state representatives with previous taxi camera evaluation experience.  Several candidate systems were evaluated, and the process of awarding the contract was overseen by an independent probity auditor.

The VerifEye Taxi Security Camera System (TSCS) was unanimously selected by the evaluation team because it was able to meet all of the technical requirements and demonstrated superior image quality.  A roll-out plan was implemented whereby taxis in the major population centres were fitted in the early part of 2006, with smaller centers following later that year.  Training programs for installers and designated image download agents were arranged in each centre.