Taxi Safety | Video

Amy Fox | 3/21/2013

Taxi companies taking steps to protect their drivers after a female taxi driver was assaulted in Minot early Wednesday morning. We`re taking a look at how one local taxi company is trying to keep its employees safe with some new technology.

"Minot`s grown quite a bit since I first started driving cabs and things have changed a lot,” said Taxi 9000 Manager David Hase. “I mean, you can`t control what other people do."

Hase has been a taxi driver in Minot for 13 years. During his time, he`s gotten a lot of on the job training with a variety of situations. But, after a recent assault inside a cab in Minot, he`s taking a closer look at the safety of his employees, especially when it comes to his four female drivers.

Hase said, "Obviously, if you get somebody that`s extremely intoxicated, we try not to send a female driver just because situations like this can happen. But, you never know if the bar calls for a patron, you never know how bad they are."

If there is a situation that happens inside the taxi, all the driver has to do is push a button on the side and the video starts on the Drive Cam.

"When there’s a situation in the cab where you get an unruly customer, you can use the mic to get a hold of the office. If you get a threatening customer, we can call the cops immediately."

The cameras were installed into all 11 of the cabs earlier this year for added security. But, as Hase explains, it could lower the number of situations that occur inside the cab.

"With the camera, it could be a deterrent because then they know that something happens, they can get recorded, and we`ll have video."

It can take up to 24 hours to download the video in its entirety. But, once it`s processed, Hase can view where and what happened both inside and outside the cab. The cameras are on at all times and automatically start recording when a driver hits a curb, makes a sudden stop or is involved in an accident.

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