Busselton taxi operators and Vasse MLA Libby Mettam have blasted the state government over its new reforms for WA’s on-demand transport and taxi industry.
The state government said the reforms, which passed the Legislative Council on October 18, provided a level playing field whereby all drivers and booking services would operate under the same rules for the first time.
Safety is major focus of the reforms, which will be rolled out from early 2019.
All booking services will now be required to be authorised, as will the vehicles and drivers they dispatch. Under the new legislation, booking services will be required by law to report serious safety incidents to the Department of Transport for potential investigation.
Busselton Taxi owners Jeff and Janet Devenny said the playing field hadn’t been levelled by these changes.
“It is just making it harder to sustain our business,” they said.
“The government has decided to make fitted cameras compulsory which would be a $10-20,000 cost to our fleet. The government has offered $500 per car to help with this cost. On-demand transport do not need cameras supposedly.
“We have never had any issues with our customers being unsafe, the main benefit these cameras would achieve to us is protecting our drivers from the public.”
They said they were extremely dissatisfied with the consultation from the state government. Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said the reforms were the most comprehensive overhaul of taxi and on-demand transport industry in the state’s history and would ultimately give customers more choice of improved services.
“I understand that not everyone is happy with the reform, but I believe it strikes the right balance,” she said.
“For customers, these reforms mean more choice, stronger safety standards and ultimately reduced costs for industry and customers.”
Ms Mettam said regional WA was an afterthought throughout the process.
“Despite numerous approaches, the WA Country Taxi Operators Association did not have the opportunity to meet with the Minister, which is particularly disappointing given the unique challenges in regional WA,” she said.
“Regional taxi drivers will not be receiving a support package like their city counterparts, even though they are now open to more competition and burdened with additional costs and obligations. The Minister offered to provide $500 levy towards the new obligations for cameras and dispatch systems, this does not nearly cover the costs of such systems and underlines the fact that this process is in no way about reducing regulation but adding levels of compliance for regional operators.”
Hi Oscar South West operations manager Brendan Robertson said the reforms didn’t change anything for the ride-share company.
“The 10% levy will only apply to the metro area so will not impact drivers or riders within the South West or other regional areas,” he said.
“Hi-Oscar will continue to provide safe, reliable and affordable rideshare services throughout the South West region. All drivers ensure safety and service standards are followed as part of WA On-Demand Transport regulations.”
