Brisbane Taxi Cab Audio Recordings To Begin Taxi audio recordings not enough A string of assaults on cab drivers will see audio recordings in taxis but the union wants "mandatory sentencing" with drivers "fearing for their life." Nine News All conversations in cabs will be recorded and fare metres automated under new taxi regulations to be brought in by the state government. The new laws, announced on Tuesday, follow the arrest last week of a 25-year-old cab driver for sexually assaulting a woman on the Gold Coast. There have also been three cases of cab-driver assault in south-east Queensland since Sunday. Conversations in Brisbane cabs are set to be recorded. Transport Minister Scott Emerson said the regulations were designed to end rorting and improve safety. "Audio recording will act as a further deterrent to assaults against taxi drivers and passengers," Mr Emerson said. We won't stand for attacks on taxi drivers, but audio recordings and cameras can deter and ensure additional evidence when a crime is committed. Mr Emerson said the captured data would be encrypted and automatically overwritten after a certain period. He said the same rules applied for video recordings which have been allowed in cabs, audio-free, since 2005. However, Queensland Privacy Commissioner Lemm Ex last year voiced strong opposition to the laws which were first floated by the Bligh government in 2011. Mr Ex told Fairfax Media that compared with video, audio allowed the capture of personal information that was "potentially limitless both in breadth and sensitivity." "Audio records of conversations in taxis are in effect a 'wire-tapping library' which will be a far more valuable resource for the [Queensland Police Service] than the current video record," Mr Ex said. On Tuesday, former Queensland Council of Civil Liberties President Michael Cope said he shared the commissioner's concerns. Mr Cope, who made submissions to the government on behalf of QCCL during the period of public comment on the proposed legislation, said there was no evidence to support the idea audio recordings would improve safety. He said video recordings were used to collect fares more than they were used to prosecute crime, and that the same thing would happen if audio was enabled. "We do not consider collecting this vast amount of personal information is necessary to collect fares," Mr Cope told ABC 612 Brisbane. No other business is allowed to do that. Mr Emerson said he decided to support the changes after consultation with the public and the privacy commissioner. Meanwhile, taxi meters, which are already partly automated, will be fully automated and itemised for the benefit of customers under the new laws. "Legislation is already in place to stop taxi operators or drivers from charging more than the allowable maximum fare, but incidences of overcharging can still occur," Mr Emerson said. When taxi meters are automated, all parts of the fare will be recorded on the meter and the passenger will only pay the price that's displayed. This price will also be itemised into the various fare components on the trip receipt. Queensland Taxi Council CEO Benjamin Wash has welcomed the changes. Mr Wash said the measures brought Queensland taxis into line with safety innovations used across the world. The legislation containing the changes will be introduced to Parliament next month.