Taxi Council of Queensland Inc.
Media Release
August 15, 2016
The RACQ’s credibility is in tatters after it “played” the Government and media by running a dishonest campaign in support of uber for the sole purpose of entering the rideshare market itself, according to Queensland’s peak taxi body.
Taxi Council Queensland (TCQ) CEO Benjamin Wash says while the RACQ can conduct any legal business it wants, it was dishonest by providing comments under the guise of being a peak motoring body while not publicly declaring its interest in creating its own rideshare company.
“The RACQ has sold out Queenslanders by supporting a foreign multinational that sends its profits offshore at the expense of thousands of Queensland small businesses, and even worse it has been caught lying about its intentions.
“We called their management out last week and their response has been an embarrassing and confusing mix of admitting their intent and denying it all at the same time.”
RACQ executive manager Michael Roth has told the Sunday Mail that the organisation intended to ‘investigate the business opportunities presented by becoming a (rideshare) provider’.
“This is something that RACQ could do in the future,” he was quoted as saying.
Mr Wash said TCQ’s concerns were not about competition, but about integrity.
“It’s a big deal because the RACQ’s so-called ‘independent’ voice carries weight with the media and public who assume it speaks from a public benefit perspective, not from commercial self-interest.
“Tens of thousands of small business people associated with the taxi industry across Queensland who operate honestly, pay their taxes and abide by regulations will rightly feel betrayed, and many will have membership and insurance with RACQ.
“We call on all within the taxi industry and all other Queenslanders to immediately send them a message by cancelling their membership and insurance policies and changing to companies that support local business and display integrity.”
TCQ said the RACQ’s “doublespeak” is not fooling anyone. “The organisation must now come clean and be honest, or its contribution to future public debates won’t be taken seriously.”
ENDS