Bendigo’s taxi operator has raised concerns new laws aimed at legalising ride sharing services and creating a level playing field for all commercial vehicle operators could erode taxis’ traditional role as an essential service.
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Bendigo Taxis manager Colin Wells said he was concerned customers with disabilities and the elderly could be disadvantaged by the new legislation, due to be introduced to state parliament in the coming months.
Mr Wells said taxi licences, which will be scrapped under the new laws, had historically provided a trade off between profit and social responsibility which was in danger of being lost.
“We’ve got an obligation to people in wheelchairs, so if a booking comes in for a group of eight people going out on a hens night and a booking comes in for someone in a wheelchair, the wheelchair takes priority. If someone rings us today and books next Saturday night for a hens night and five minutes before we’re due to pick them up a booking comes in for a wheelchair, the wheelchair takes priority. We have to look after these people first and if we don’t we will lose our licence,” he said.
“That’s all been viewed by the industry as the trade off, the government saying ‘when times are really good you guys are going to make money, when it’s quiet we expect you to be on the road anyway, so there’s been a bit of give and take.
“I'm just concerned that on a busy night the price will go up and on a quiet night, yeah it’ll come down but there’s not enough work and people will just go home because there’s not an obligation to offer a service.”
But Public Transport Minster Jacinta Allan said the needs of people with a disability had been “front and centre” in the government’s planning for the new laws.
“We will also be enforcing, through the Taxi Services Commission, the highest of possible standards around passenger safety, around standards of drivers and the requirements of vehicles, those matters will continue to be enforced and continue to be enforced strongly,” she said.
“That’s why there has been a significant increase in the support to disability transport services because we want to make sure that the people for who taxis are their only form of public transport, that they continue to have the services, whether they’re in the city and the outer suburbs or in regional Victoria.”
The government expects the first piece of legislation to pass by the end of the year.
Jason Walls
Bendigo born and bred, interested in business malpractice, crime, social justice and corruption in all its forms. Got a tip? 5434 4476
Bendigo born and bred, interested in business malpractice, crime, social justice and corruption in all its forms. Got a tip? 5434 4476
