Mr Joyce said he would take a proposal to Cabinet in the next month that would mandate the cameras in a bid to curb serious assaults on drivers that have seen two murdered in recent years.

Cabinet would also consider compulsory duress alarms in cabs and steps to ensure drivers get the round-the-clock support from companies that they are supposed to.

Signing off on compulsory cameras is expected to be a formality.

The moves were decided after ongoing meetings between Mr Joyce and taxi driver representatives, who asked for the Government to consider compulsory security measures following the fatal stabbing of Auckland driver Hiren Mohini in January.

Calls from the industry for some sort of compulsory regime first began after the slaying of Christchurch cabbie Abdulrahman Ikhtiari, who was stabbed to death in December 2008.

Mr Joyce said the cameras would cost about $1000 to $1500 each, and lead to small rises in cab fares. The Government would not subsidise the cameras as it did not help with the cost of other industries that had high security needs.

"In considering these matters, we are very concerned about the safety and security of taxi drivers. There has been, as we know, two tragic incidents of taxi drivers being murdered in recent times. There has also been other assaults and ... a number that aren't reported and we're at the point, I think, where the importance of taxi driver safety must result in this change."

He said the move would also have benefits for the safety of passengers.

Taxi Federation executive director Tim Reddish said he was "delighted" with the move, which the federation has called for ever since Mr Ikhtiari's death.

Mr Reddish said in February that compulsory cameras were likely to add no more than 30 cents to fares.

Mr Joyce said mandatory cameras would apply only in large and medium centres, as drivers in smaller towns had a better idea of the nature of their clientele and making cameras compulsory would be an unacceptable burden on smaller companies.

The moves are likely to be made through a regulation change due by the end of the year.

Wellington Combined Taxi's

Taking the Environmental Lead

Wellington Combined Taxis (WCT) shifted into a new gear when it embarked on a journey toward carbon neutrality. And in May 2009 the popular taxi service became the first carboNZeroCert TM certified taxi service in New Zealand.

It was not an easy ride by any means, taking cars in the fleet and turning them from petrol to more eco-friendly fuel options is a challenge that requires support, passion and dedication from all involved.

And Landcare Research's carboNZero certification is hardly just a label you can put on your taxi to say you're green. In fact, WCT marketing Manager Ani de Graaf says the certification is based on solid science and Wellington Combined Taxis had to meet very strict testing requirements to be credited with such a title.

Quite simply, the company has measured and committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and is mitigating its remaining unavoidable emissions.

"It was an unbelievable challenge. The day we got certification was amazing. It took hard work to get us where we are and it was worth every second of it," de Graaf says.

"Our certification and the work we put into it is further proof of our commitment to the environment and to our customers."

WCT operates 442 modern vehicles, run by 600 uniformed drivers. Committed to carbon neutrality, the company created a new rule mid 2008, that no petrol only vehicles are allowed to enter the fleet. "This forms part of our reduction plan and environmental policy. Within six years our entire fleet will consist of more fuel efficient vehicles.

"We are constantly looking for newer, more efficient vehicles we can allow into the fleet."

This committment goes beyond the company's own services, also aligning itself with equally carbon conscious partners. TaxiCharge NZ Ltd is a nationwide taxi billing company with in excess of 33,000 clients, which, quite simply, manages taxi spending for businesses and individuals.

TaxiCharge has also successfully achieved re-certification under the carboNZero small enterprise programme from Landcare Research.

Over the past year, TaxiCharge has reduced its emissions by 19 percent. Various measures included the use of hybrid taxis over company vehicles when travelling. TaxiCharge general manager Mark Lines says the re-certification was the result of 12 months of hard work to achieve its goal of managing and reducing its emissions. "It's been an interesting and challenging exercise and we are committed to the programme."

Both WCT and TaxiCharge chose the world's first internationally accredited greenhouse gas certification scheme, the carboNZero programme, managed by government owned Landcare Research. "We wanted our certification to be completely transparent," de Graaf says. "We wanted to make sure what we were claiming was absolutely correct and not misleading."

What's more, it is something which will be continuing for long into the future of the company. "It's so exciting getting started on this journey and it's exciting looking at the possibilities and where we could take this. We are loving every minute."

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