Removal of Cabcharge Decals from Taxis

Faruque Ahmed
P O Box – 349
Alexandria – 2015
Mobile: 041 091 4118
Thursday, November 29, 2007

Mr. Graeme Samuel
Australian Competition & Consumer Commission
GPO Box 3131
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Ph: 02 6243 1244Fax: 02 6243 1210

Email: foi@accc.gov.au

Re: Removal of Cabcharge Decals from Taxis

Dear Mr. Samuel,

I request that the ACCC move to take action forcing requirement that taxi entities be compelled to remove from surface areas of taxi cabs, decals proclaiming and advertising Cabcharge products.

Originally taxi cooperatives (not taxi companies or networks) obtained "the authorisation in contention" to subject workers in the taxi cab industry to perform for Cabcharge from the then Trades Practices Commission by not telling the truth, twisting the truth and using racism. Ultimately, the original applicants, specifically the Red and Yellow Deluxe have used many false claims "for their own narrow benefit" with impunity.

Fortunately this issue was largely dealt with to my satisfaction in TPC in matterA30152.

Since then, we have been asking the ACCC and other relevant departments to remove the Authorization A30112. Surprisingly, they are very reluctant about it.

Finally, in Matter No - 3 of 2005 of the Australian Competition Tribunal, Justice Goldberg and three other eminent Judges revoked the contentious authorization which gave the Cabcharge the “exclusive power” and “monopoly” in the first place. It is interesting to note that during the proceeding neither the taxi network nor the Cabcharge made representation as to the (their) case.

The fact is, the then TPC then made a mistake back in 1984- since then the Federal Competition Tribunal corrected the anomaly.

The ACCC used it’s power, authority and creativity to compel all taxi owners of this country to display the Cabcharge decals and therefore accept the Cabcharge cards and dockets.

Now, the ACCC must do everything to remove the Cabcharge decals from all taxis as they are false advertisement and NOT legally required in the first place.

With thanks


Faruque Ahmed

SIMPLE TRANSPORT ARITHMETIC

NSW TAXI DRIVERS ASSOCIATION
Incorporating Bailee Drivers, Owner Drivers and Lessee Drivers

Inc 9882558 ABN 98 653 928 763
www.hermes.net.au/toursbm1/NSWTDA.htm
‘A Fair Share of a Fair Fare’


Fax 02 9526 1649 P.O. Box 322 Alexandria NSW 2015.

President: Geoff Coates Secretary: Ted Hirsch

Mobile: 0431 585 944 Phone: 02 9526 1629 Phone: 02 9810 1136 Mobile: 0432 665 822

MEDIA RELEASE
SIMPLE TRANSPORT ARITHMETIC

The NSW Taxi Drivers Association is pleased to help Miranda with some arithmetic to solve the problem of Xmas party goers getting home in November and December each year.

There are 5000 taxis in Sydney. Each can take between 1 and 4 revelers home, on say a 15 minute trip and 15 return to the City, for 6 persons per hour. Working from 10pm till 4am in the morning, Sydney's taxis can therefore take home some 200,000 persons (6 pax x 6 hours x 5000 cabs approx). That's a far cry from Miranda's million, even with the addition of "gypsy" cabs, wherever they may materialise from.

On the other hand, only 1000 buses carrying 60 people can take about 350,000 people home during that period. And 100 trains with 1000 persons can carry 600,000 revelers home in that time. Like they do in weekday peak hours. That takes care of most of Miranda's million revelers. Of course 1000 extra bus divers and 100 train drivers would have to be paid overtime to work those nights.

Based on simple arithmetic, trains and buses are the easy, obvious and only solution to the traditional Xmas problems that Miranda correctly identifies.

Faruque Ahmed
Media Manager
Mobile: 041 091 4118, Email: union_faruque@yahoo.com.au

Miranda’s Xmas and Taxis

NSW TAXI DRIVERS ASSOCIATION
FOR BAILEE DRIVERS, OWNER DRIVERS AND LESSEE DRIVERS
Inc. No. 9882558 ABN: 98 653 928 763

PO Box 322, Alexandria NSW 2015
Mobile: 0431 585 944 or 0432 665 822

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nswtdaforum Thursday, November 08, 2007

Media Release
Miranda’s Xmas and Taxis

Miranda has put her elegant finger squarely on the problem of taxis at Xmas (SMH 8Nov07). Each year in November and December it becomes increasingly impossible for office and Xmas party goers to get a taxi home late into the night.

This is despite most taxis working flat out those months to make up for their paltry earnings during the year, when too many taxis are idle. The Xmas taxi problems are a major issue for the NSW Taxi Drivers Association which is concerned about driver earnings as much as taxi services to passengers whence drivers derive their earnings.

The problem at Xmas is that taxis can generally carry only take 4 persons per cab. Unfortunately, two or 3 times as many cabs or "gypsy" cabs are a Miranda mirage, idle the rest of the year. In any event they could still not carry the Xmas crowds. The millions of Xmas revellers that arrive by trains and buses during the day, can only get home if those trains and buses are running to get them home again late at night.

And there Miranda lies the answer. Trains and buses must run until 4am during the Xmas season to get people home. Then the taxis can cope with the "mopping up" and the other fares.




Faruque Ahmed
Media Manager
Mobile: 041 091 4118, Email: union_faruque@yahoo.com.au