The  NZTA, in conjunction with Bentech Limited, have established a set of rules and requirements for Taxi Camera Systems to be used in Taxis throughout New Zealand. As a result a reliable and robust process has been setup for camera system approval to ensure the camera systems entering the market are not only suitable for the protection of drivers within the New Zealand taxi industry, but also offer the security and safety for the traveling public.

Bentech Lab is a Transport Agency approved laboratory for the independent testing of taxi camera security systems according to the Land Transport Rule: Operator Licensing 2007 as amended by the Operator Licensing Amendment (no 2) 2010. We offer a timely testing process and valuable feedback to help you get your camera system to market as fast as possible.

What You Must Do

Before we can proceed with the testing process, you must supply us with the following:

• The taxi camera system, components and cables to run the equipment from a 12V supply.
• Computer software (if required), along with information required to access the software.
• All manuals and installation instructions (hard copy or digital form).
• Digital copies of test images taken during the Image Capture Exercise installed in the media of the system.
• Documentation showing the system has EMC compliance.
• Payment of the testing fee. This is a standard fee required for the testing process and is payable prior to testing.
• The filled out ‘Application to Test’ form. You can download the form here.

Testing will not commence until all the required information is supplied. Please contact us if you have any queries.

The Testing Process

The testing typically takes 8 – 14 days, but the process can be delayed if we have not been supplied with sufficient information and files. If a system does not pass all aspects of the test we often work with the supplier and in many cases offer advice / help to bring the system to compliance. In the event the system requires a retest a retest fee will apply, however only the aspects that the system failed on are required to be retested.

Test Variations

For larger taxis (such as vans) a taxi camera security system with multiple cameras may be required in order to record all passengers. Therefore, a system falls into one of two classes; i) Single Camera System and ii) Multiple Camera System. A system is therefore approved for the number of cameras it was tested with.

Tips For Suppliers

To ensure your system passes the testing process and to avoid retesting fees, you can follow the guidelines below:

• Ensure your camera security system is fully working before sending it to us.
• Verify that all components (Camera, DVR etc) have the Make, Model and a unique serial number permanently marked on them.
• Ensure you have performed the Image Capture Exercise and that the files are loaded onto the system that you supply us. Make sure the images meet all the requirements here.
• Check that the required stamps are on the images and that they do not obscure any of the passengers faces.
• Ensure all paperwork and manufacturers instructions are written in clear English and are easy to understand. We do not translate or guess when reading documentation so ensure they are clearly readable.
• Check that your SDoC shows EMC compliance.
• Make sure the storage media is large enough to store 168 hours worth of images with at least 1 image per second and a suitable quality.

• Read through the NZTA Guidelines here and make sure that your system meets all the requirements.

For more informaiton read our more tips for suppliers here.