Australia 
News Releases
VerifEye Wins Queensland Tender (Aust)
VerifEye Opens Australian Office (Aust)
VerifEye Gains GITC accreditation (Aust)
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Above, Yellow cabs Neil Ford, owner, Stefan Przybysz - Safety Officer , Bruce Oliver, Operations Manager and cab driver Aaron Boucher on candid TaxiCam. Left - Ian Johnson from Johnson TaxiCom is captured on the drivers door exterior camera. VerifEye Wins Queensland Taxi Cameras - Clearer focus on safety for Queensland cabbies and passengers
Transport and Main Roads (Queensland), the Hon. Paul Lucas, MP
The first Queensland cabs fitted with new security cameras under an $8 million Queensland Government safety initiative will be off the ranks this month.
"Taxi drivers and their passengers will enjoy new standards of safety as the new system rolls out around Brisbane, then 11 regional centres," said Transport and Main Roads Minister Paul Lucas.
Today, the Minister demonstrated the advantages of the new technology, and announced that VerifEye had won the contract through a competitive tender.
"We want drivers to feel more secure and we want passengers to feel safer knowing their taxi is under surveillance," Mr Lucas said.
"The cameras will be fitted in 2700 taxis in centres where the population is greater than 40,000: Brisbane, Redcliffe, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Hervey Bay, Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns.
"They will later be fitted in other parts of the state on a case by case basis.
"The fit-out and maintenance of the cameras, and the training required to operate them, will create job opportunities and inject more than $3.6 million into local economies over the next five years," Mr Lucas said.
"Local contractors will install the cameras. $1.3 million will be spent on training and installation and that means job security for local people," Mr Lucas said.
Minister Lucas thanked the taxi industry and other key stakeholders for working with the Queensland Government on the initiative, and said he was looking forward to working with them again on the roll-out.
He said the process of awarding the contract to VerifEye Aust. Pty Ltd was overseen by an independent probity auditor from respected firm, BDO Kendalls and a joint industry/government evaluation team.
"This is about getting the best product possible to protect taxi drivers and their passengers. We're getting the best technology for taxpayers' money.
"The new security cameras will be tamper-proof and secure. All cameras will be fitted with infra-red lighting so images can be taken day or night.
"A camera will be fitted above the rear vision mirror and there will be an external camera above the driver's door. Images will be captured continuously.
"Images can only be downloaded by persons authorised by the Transport Department or the police, and only if there is an incident."
The Minister said image downloads would be free.
"We won't be putting the onus on cab drivers to pay hefty fees to download. I don't believe cab drivers should be out of pocket," Mr Lucas said.
The Minister said there had been a significant reduction in assaults on drivers in other states where security cameras were in use.
When the cameras were introduced in Victoria the number of robberies had halved, and in New South Wales the assault rate had also halved.
This week the Premier and the Minister also announced an exciting $4.7 million action plan to deliver all-night trains and buses and innovative cab services at the busiest times in the CBD, Fortitude Valley and the Caxton Street precinct.
"Brisbane will be able to take its place on the international map alongside world capitals like London and New York.
"No other city in Australia has ever implemented such an extensive late night rail and bus plan along with innovative taxi services," Mr Lucas said.
Highlights of the 10-point plan:
- At least hourly passenger services on all popular lines from midnight Friday to 5am Saturday, and from midnight Saturday to 5am Sunday
- a flat-fare for passengers to share a maxi-cab with others heading in the same general direction
- more taxi rank marshals and security guards
- closed circuit TV cameras at key taxi ranks
- 57 extra taxis
- extra taxis in peak periods - also on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts
- up to 10 computerised signs to let people know where to find staffed taxi ranks
- a Fortitude Valley Traffic Management Plan to improve traffic flow around the main party zone at the New Farm end of the Mall
(For media enquiries contact Ellen McIntyre 07 3237 1947)
VerifEye Opens Australian Office
VerifEye Inc opened an Australian office in April 2005 to support existing customers and to explore opportunities for a range of mobile security solutions. Based on the Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane in Queensland, the office will focus on new market opportunities, using the experience and expertise of the VerifEye team in Toronto, Canada.
Mr Stephen Holmes, President of VerifEye says
"We are delighted to open a wholely owned company in Australia. With over 4,800 cameras already in Australia, we continue to develop new products to meet the ever expanding Asia Pacific market for security systems in mobile fleets. "
"It is almost full turn for VerifEye. In 1997, a development team in NZ developed a taxi camera to try to win business in Western Australia. Although VerifEye failed to gain sales in WA, it provided the impetus to capitalise and focus on the North American & European market where we now have a major proportion of cameras in taxi fleets."
"I welcome Dr Hugh Butler as the CEO of VerifEye Aust. Dr Butler has a 25 year career in product commercialisation in areas as diverse as agriculture, data communications, government science, construction, recreational equipment and IT professional services and will bring local knowledge and proven expertise. "
VerifEye Aust Gains GITC Accreditation
VerifEye gains GITC accreditation (Q-2502), enabling sales to government agencies across Australia.
International News & Features
New York News
A Brooklyn suspect in two livery-cab stickups redefined stupid yesterday when he walked into a police station to check on his arrested partner-in-crime — and found himself standing in front of his own wanted poster. It took only a split-second for the stunned cops at the 90th Precinct in Williamsburg to slap the cuffs on 20-year-old Awiey "Chucky" Hernandez, whose picture was captured by a cab-cam during one of the duo's alleged robberies.
"There's a wanted poster with their pictures, right there," said an incredulous Sgt. Norman Horowitz, of the 90th Precinct Detective Squad. "[The poster] was a couple of feet away. Obviously he did not notice it, but we did."
Hernandez's bungle began when he went to the station house to inquire about his cohort — 18-year-old Huquan "Guns" Gavin, the man whose face appeared next to his on the wanted poster.
Horowitz was baffled why Hernandez would mingle with cops after the "wanted" flier had been distributed throughout the neighborhood.
"I can't understand how he can walk into a station house knowing very well what they did, and their picture was plastered all over the [neighborhood]," Horowitz said.