Taxi Drivers on Notice as Industry Begins Crackdown on Illegal Set Fees

Article by Lachlan Leeming and Zac McLean via The Daily Telegraph

Taxi industry bigwigs will meet in a bid to work out how to crackdown on drivers refusing to turn on their meters and forcing passengers to negotiate a set fare before letting them in their vehicles.

Martin Rogers, the CEO of the NSW Taxi Council, told The Daily Telegraph he would organise an urgent meeting with representatives from across the state’s taxi networks in a bid to restrict the illegal practice, saying that drivers would also be hit with suspensions and fines amid a concerning rise in incidents. 

Mr Rogers said he had met with industry watchdog, Point to Point Transport Commissioner Anthony Wing, urging him to target the practice further.

He told The Daily Telegraph he and the Commissioner will organise a meeting with the major taxi networks to come up with a way to stop it.

“A meeting is being arranged to bring the industry together and solve this. All options are on the table, including suspensions and fines,” Mr Rogers said.

“It‘s not just the passengers who aren’t happy, but the drivers. Drivers who are doing the right thing are being tarnished.”

Mr Rogers said passengers should record the number plate and the taxi network of any driver who attempted to haggle fare, in a bid to report them.

The issue has been reignited after a furious Scotty Cam, the host of reality TV show The Block, told 2GB’s Ben Fordham of his own experience with dodgy drivers on Monday.

“We got out with a few choice words and got an Uber,” he told Fordham, adding: “They’re ripping people off”.

It comes after the Point to Point Commissioner, the government-appointed industry regulator, released the results of a compliance blitz – targeted at cabbies not turning on their metres – which begun in October and resulted in more than 600 taxis, hire cars and rideshares being inspected at major events in Sydney.

That resulted in 95 fines being issued, as well as 16 improvement notices and three prohibition orders, with the most common offences committed by drivers failing to display reflective signage and their driver identification.

The move comes a week after the NSW Taxi Council accepted a $905 million compensation package from the NSW Government, which has been years in the works.

Aimed at compensating taxi plate holders following the legalisation of rideshare companies by the state government, passengers will pay an extra 20 cents on taxi and ride share trips until 2030 to fund an extra $260 million in industry assistance under a final ultimatum from the Perrottet government.