Brighton and Hove Buses has firmly rebutted a claim by trade union Unite that recordings of audio feeds from alleged cab-mounted equipment are made on some of the operator’s bus fleet without consultation or informing those who may be included on any such recording.
Unite says that the Go-Ahead Group subsidiary has been “secretly” making the recordings via microphones that were installed in some cabs. It alleges that the devices can also pick up conversations of nearby passengers and that no warning signs are present, potentially breaching data protection laws.
Collection of the recordings is said by the union to have come to light when a manager at the operator “showed an audio commentary to a Unite representative during a disciplinary case involving a driver.”
Brighton and Hove Managing Director Ed Wills has challenged the claim by saying that while CCTV footage has been captured aboard the operator’s bus fleet for many years, audio recording is not in place.
“Currently on Brighton and Hove Buses we do not use audio recording even though many transport operators do this as standard, including other operators in the Brighton area where audio is recorded at the entry point of the vehicle only.”
Mr Wills adds that a trial of audio recording took place at the operator’s Newhaven depot “in conjunction with our trade union to ensure that the system worked.”
He continues: “The safety and support of our colleagues is our priority, and audio helps to remove any ambiguity if video footage ever needs to be viewed. If and when this is implemented, signage will be updated in advance of the system being used.”
Nevertheless, Unite says it has made a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office over the alleged recording after attempts to discuss the matter with the operator “were ignored.”
The trade union is also asking its over 1,000 members at the business to participate in a consultative ballot on potential industrial action over the matter. General Secretary Sharon Graham describes the alleged recording as “outrageous Big Brother-style behaviour.”
