All conversations in Brisbane taxi cabs will be recorded under new taxi regulations including the installation automated fare metres. Last Tuesday, the state government announced new laws following the arrest of a Gold Coast taxi driver for the sexual assault of a woman.

This is not the first time a cab driver is charged with sexual assault. Since Sunday, the south-east part of Queensland has had three cases of cab driver crime.

Transport Minister Scott Emerson said regulations are in place to deter crime in taxi cabs and improve safety. Minister Emerson said audio recordings are crime deterrents against cab drivers and passengers.

Voice recordings and cameras ensure additional evidence when a crime is committed inside a cab. Minister Emerson explained that the recorded data will be encrypted and automatically overwritten once a certain period has lapsed.

The same regulations still apply for video recordings which have been allowed in cabs but without the audio since 2005. Last 2012, the Queensland Privacy Commissioner Lemm Ex expressed strong opposition to cab recording laws which were first proposed under the Bligh government.

According to Minister Emerson, taxi cabs with audio recording capability allowed the capture of personal information that had endless possibilities in breadth and sensitivity.

Taxi cabs may serve as a "wire-tapping library" which can be a valuable resource for the Queensland Police Department than the current video-only recording.

Former Queensland Council of Civil Liberties (QCCL) President Michael Cope said on Tuesday that he agrees with the concerns of the commissioner. Cope made submissions to the government in behalf of QCCL when the legislation was first proposed.

Cope said there was no evidence to prove that audio recordings can definitely improve safety in taxi cabs. He also pointed out that video recordings were primarily used to collect taxi fares than crime deterrents. The same thing could happen if audio recordings are mandated in taxis.

Speaking for QCCL, Cope said the organisation does not consider the recording of personal information necessary for fare collection. He said no other business was allowed to do that.

Meanwhile, aside from audio recordings, taxi meters will become fully automated under the new laws to cab drivers from overcharging passengers.