Media Statement
21/04/2016
Statement from Taxi Council Queensland
Taxi Council Queensland welcomes the legislation passed in the Queensland Parliament that will provide greater enforcement of existing taxi regulations. This legislation has nothing to do with stifling competition or innovation – it has to do with upholding the law and stopping the illegal operation of taxi services. For too long so called “ridesharing” services have been allowed to use their money and size to strong-arm governments into accepting that existing regulations could be ignored and that law-abiding small business owners like taxi owners, operators and drivers didn’t matter.
Why should over 16,000 small business owners that represent Queensland’s taxi industry be punished for simply upholding the law, while those that ignore the law are rewarded? If taxi regulations don’t matter, why should any company in any field uphold any regulations? This is grossly unfair and unconscionable.
The taxi industry also welcomes the new legislation in respect to CTP insurance. Taxi drivers pay over $6000 per year in CTP and no one should be allowed to gain an unfair market advantage by transporting passengers and avoiding this cost.
The taxi industry now calls on the Department of Transport and Main Roads and their inspectors on the ground to act on this legislation and prove they are taking this matter seriously. This includes the enforcement of the correct class of CTP insurance for anyone offering passenger transportation. Effective enforcement is now required – no more talk, but action.
Taxi Council Queensland continues to work with the current ‘Opportunities for Personalised Transport Review’ (OPT), and looks forward to a longer-term solution when this report is handed down. The taxi industry supports – and leads – innovation and we welcome competition. But it must be on a level playing field. This is what the OPT is about and that is the forum to argue your case. Until this review is competed, regulations should be upheld. You cannot change laws through operating outside the law or by social media campaigns – any changes must take into consideration the long-term effects and benefits for the Queensland economy and all Queenslanders.
ENDS