Monopoly and de-Regulation of the Taxi Industry

NSW TAXI DRIVERS ASSOCIATION
INCORPORATING BAILEE DRIVERS, OWNER DRIVERS AND LESSEE DRIVERS
Inc.no. 9882558 ABN 98 653 928 763 PO Box 322, Alexandria NSW 2015


'A Fair Share of a Fair Fare'



Monopoly and de-Regulation of the Taxi Industry

Once upon a time taxi plate licenses were free. Many were issued to returned soldiers who looked after the cab, worried about fares being too high, and earned a modest living.

That fairytale ended in 1980’s when the Government decided to “sell” the taxi plates to the highest bidder. Many of these new owners lived overseas, concerned only about the value of their investment. Mr. Reg Kermode "bought" many plates from ex soldier widows, became Mr. Taxi Big and invented the unfair and oppressive monopoly called the Cabcharge system. Taxi drivers became the short term cannon fodder, losing their long term skills, earning a pittance waiting on ranks most days and nights, with passengers grumbling at peak times.

Now Prof Allan Fels suggests the economists' doctrinaire "deregulate", double the number of taxis, reduce the value of taxi plates and make the drivers' lot even worse. Unfortunately such taxi deregulation has succeeded in few if any places in the world, but instead has given the public fly by night

COWBOY TAXIS.

The NSW Taxi Drivers Association solution is to issue new free, non tradeable taxi plates in response to proven passenger demand to 5 year experienced taxi drivers to build careers and continue to improve decent taxi services to the public.

Plates will completely lose their value and taxi fares will reduce as Allan Fels suggest. However, why deregulation of any kind is another fairy tale is because the 'Mr Kermodes' will lose their power and the Govt its lucrative plates revenue.





Faruque Ahmed
Media Manager, Mobile: 041 091 4118

Email: union_faruque@yahoo.com.au
Monday, 11 February 2008

7.30 Report, Australia Wide or To whom It May Concern

7.30 Report, Australia Wide or To whom It May Concern

The Taxi Industry is a SERVICE industry. It got no resemblance with the Stock Exchange or Casino. Our aim is to provide service to the public. The so-called value of taxi plate is NOT relevant at all.

The State OWNS all taxi plates. The government of the day can alter, suspend or vary any taxi licenses for the benefit of the public. Therefore, no one has to be compensated in case of regulation or de-regulation. The High Court of Australia also said the same thing. You see, no one pays Sales Tax when they “buy” a taxi plate! In reality they pay Transfer Tax only. So this ridiculous notion of compensation should be out of question when the question of regulation or de-regulation appears at the horizon.


Similar to Company Registers, the Taxi Register should be open to the public. Yet, the taxi register is secret for a long time. So, we do not know who really owns taxis and therefore the possibility of owning taxi plates by unsavory people and thereby their influence can’t be dismissed. Many industry experts suspect, current system is running contrary to public interest and compromising the public and worker safety in favor of the taxi mafia.

The Nexus Taxi Plate issue is a blatant scandal. Governments have given millions of dollars worth of public assets (taxi plates) to taxi companies so that they will provide special service to the communities in need. However, they took these plates and double dipped both the public and taxi drivers for eternity without providing services required by them! Despite repeated requests no one would like to investigate this scandal.




Faruque Ahmed
Media Manager, Mobile: 041 091 4118

Email: union_faruque@yahoo.com.au