Media Release

23 November 2015

Reports that NSW may legalise uber won’t affect QLD – Taxi Council

Taxi Council Queensland (TCQ) says reports of illegal taxi service uber being legalised in New South Wales should not affect any future decision by the Queensland Government, as this state’s industry is very different.

TCQ chief executive officer Benjamin Wash also said the reason given by unnamed NSW “Government sources” for the proposed move was bizarre and worrying.

The Daily Telegraph reported today that “Government sources described state regulation of uber as “inevitable”, saying the service would have continued to operate under the radar had it not been legalised”.

“This is an unbelievable precedent. Is the NSW Government seriously saying that any company wealthy enough to keep breaking the law and thumbing its nose at regulation will ‘inevitably’ become legal because the Government is too weak to uphold the law?
​“The NSW Government has willingly become a victim of corporate blackmail,” Mr Wash declared.

However he said Queensland is currently undergoing its own review and the taxi industry would be making several submissions to the recently appointed independent taskforce to explain the necessity of both a level playing field and the importance of the taxi industry to the state.

“The difference in Queensland is that we already have what we believe to be the best taxi service in the world, with high levels of performance,” he explained.

“Our 3,200 plus licences are owned by more than 2,200 individuals, and the industry in Queensland is made up of over 16,000 small business people who meet high regulatory standards and pay their taxes, supporting over 60,000 jobs.”

He said Queensland taxis deliver 24/7 service to all areas and service those with disabilities, something illegal taxis don’t do.

“Any decision in NSW is irrelevant to Queensland, and it should be pointed out that uber has never agreed to meet any government’s regulations in any part of the world, so saying they will be legalised means nothing.

“Governments must realise that when dealing with uber they are dealing with a company that flouts the law, pays no taxes and sends their money out of Australia, so how can you trust them to meet any regulations?”

11/13/2015

Thirty years of driving a taxi without a single complaint has resulted in Brisbane taxi driver John Topma being named this year’s Queensland ‘Taxi Driver of the Year’.

Yellow Cabs driver John Topma is a 30 year industry veteran and overcame a standout field to take home the top award at Taxi Council Queensland’s (TCQ) Taxi Industry Awards in Brisbane last night.

Drivers were nominated by the industry and members of the public and John led the way with three different nominations, all praising the 50 year-old’s courteous, reliable and consistent customer service.

Having driven cabs in New South Wales and Queensland, John is never without a friendly smile and a happy hello as he begins his shift, traits that have seen him receive a record number of compliments and frequent nominations as the state’s number one taxi driver.

Among his many acts of kindness and service was assisting an epilepsy sufferer when her medical alert dog warned her of an imminent seizure. John’s actions in calming and comforting his customer, while driving slowly to ensure limited movement in the cab, reduced the risk of bringing on a seizure.

TCQ chief executive officer Benjamin Wash said John’s commitment to putting the customer first is why Queensland drivers are rated the best in the country.

“All our training and education for drivers is about customer service and helping passengers when required. I salute John for always putting the needs of his customers first.”

Another industry veteran honoured at the awards was Yellow Cabs’ Marty Ord who claimed the Significant Achievement award for being an outstanding advocate for Brisbane’s blind and low vision community. Yellow Cabs has been Guide Dogs Queensland’s taxi provider of choice for many years.
ENDS

11/12/2015

The State Government’s proposed revised liquor licensing laws will not solve the problem of alcohol fuelled violence and could create more issues according to a taxi industry representative who is also a criminologist and former consultant in the area of alcohol related policy and issues.

Gordana Blazevic is Chief Executive Officer of Gold Coast Cabs and Vice President of Taxi Council Queensland, and has worked with previous state and local governments developing and evaluating strategies around alcohol related issues.

She says a 2am or earlier closure or lockout won’t stop violence but will only make it harder to contain, because people will take their parties to the suburbs instead of staying in a more controlled precinct environment.

“Right now taxis pick up customers in entertainment precincts at secure ranks where people have police supervision and every effort is made to keep people safe.”

“If people feel they can only drink till 1am or 2am it will encourage them to congregate across the suburbs, forcing taxi drivers to put themselves in greater danger due to the unregulated and unknown environments of the pickup destinations they will be called to.

She also said that having thousands of people on the streets at one common time will put pressure on transportation and will likely cause even more violence-related problems.

“This is a poorly thought out political strategy which will undo all the good work that governments, police and other stakeholders have done over the past decade to make our entertainment precincts work.

Ms Blazevic said that it is misleading to suggest that the majority of violent incidents occur after 2am. “Indeed many recent incidents of alcohol-fuelled violence have occurred before the proposed 2am closure time.”

She said the Government should instead be enforcing existing laws and ensuring that venues comply with legislation by serving alcohol more responsibly and stop serving intoxicated patrons.

“This is simply lazy legislation. The Government is attempting to fix a problem with more regulation when the answer simply lies in enforcing what is already there.”
ENDS

11/12/2015

​Taxi Council QLD Industry Awards – TONIGHT

The annual Taxi Council Queensland (TCQ) Industry Awards will be held tonight, Wednesday November 11 at Easts Leagues Club, Coorparoo from 7:30pm.

The evening will feature a range of industry awards presented to the winners of several categories including Driver of the Year and Customer Service.

Media are welcome to attend to gain vision of the major winners with the main award for Driver of the Year expected to be announced around 9:30pm.

The Driver of the Year will be available for interview at noon tomorrow, November 12. Details TBC.

Details
WHO: TCQ Industry Awards 2015
WHEN: TODAY, November 11, 7:30pm. (Major presentation around 9:30pm)
WHERE: Easts Leagues Club, 40 Main Avenue, Coorparoo
ENDS

11/4/2015

​Book a cab for Melbourne Cup – best bet of the day

Queensland’s taxis will be on the road from early tomorrow morning taking patrons to Melbourne Cup day events as the industry embraces one of its busiest days of the year.

Taxi Council Queensland (TCQ) has urged revellers to book ahead for a cab, and if using a smartphone app, to make sure it is attached to one of the recognised booking companies.

TCQ chief operating officer Wayne Crooks also warned that illegal taxis will be attempting to flout laws and generate business.

“Illegal taxis take advantage of alcohol-effected people by not only providing an unregulated and unsafe service, but charging up to ten times the normal fare in what they call surge pricing,” he explained.

“Taxis are the safest form of door to door transport, so make sure there is a clear taxi brand on the car.”

Extra services will be dispatched to the Doomben racecourse precinct where a crowd of more than 15,000 is expected for the ‘race that stops a nation’, while extra services will also be in place for Cup day meetings on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

TCQ reminds customers that no abled passengers will be picked up from disabled zones.
ENDS

The following can be attributed to Benjamin Wash, chief executive officer of Taxi Council Queensland.

Taxi Council Queensland has never called for uber to be banned. We have simply called for a level playing field that ensures anyone operating a taxi service plays by the same rules and abides by the law. If legislation needs to be changed so be it, however in the meantime Taxi Council Queensland expects existing regulations to be enforced and the Queensland Government to uphold the law and ensure that illegal taxi services – which currently includes uber – do not operate.

It should also be noted that it is premature to say that uber will be made legal in Tasmania, or indeed the ACT. Both governments have made it clear that any new laws will also aim to protect consumers by imposing key standards and safeguards applicable to traditional industries. The Tasmanian Premier has been quoted as saying, “The Government believes that it’s the government’s role to provide a regulatory framework that’s fair and that provides necessary protections…”. We point out that we do not know what regulations will be enforced by the Tasmanian Government, but we do know that across the world, uber has blatantly refused to meet even minimum safety standards and has rejected any sort of regulatory framework. With their record of non-compliance and flouting of laws, it is doubtful that uber will agree to new legislation in Tasmania, the ACT or anywhere else. We expect them to thumb their nose at new legislation just like they do now, which means that despite new legislation that should make their operations legal, they will still be operating illegally.

uber is a law-breaking foreign bully that pays no taxes in Australia and wants to create a monopoly for themselves at the expense of law-abiding small business operators. State Governments should be aware of this before trying to pander to them. New technology should be embraced, but not at the expense of customer safety and regulations that thousands of Queensland small business operators meet.

​Taxi Council Queensland (TCQ) says that the Government and police should be ashamed that illegal taxi operator uber has made criminality and illegality cool.

TCQ chief executive officer Benjamin Wash said that uber has mastered the art of lies and deception, with sections of the media and some MPs falling for it “hook, line and sinker”.

He dismissed claims that the company has done 2.5 million trips in south east Queensland as “unfounded and laughable, designed to cloak their illegal operations”.

“That police and the Government openly allow a company to break the law and ignore orders to stop, just because this company has a lot of money, is reprehensible and a blight on law and order in Queensland.

“Since when can you buy your way to break the law with money and popular publicity campaigns? It is shameful that this is being allowed.”

Mr Wash said if uber were operating within regulations the Taxi Council would have no issue whatsoever but “we have illegal, tax-avoiding taxi operators who refuse to meet even the most minimal of safety standards, and these people are undermining the legal business operations of over 16,000 small business operators that make up the state’s taxi industry.”

He warned that regulation will no longer protect any small business in Queensland because clearly it means nothing to the Government.

“I repeat again – the taxi industry welcomes competition and we embrace new technology, but there must be a level playing field; and until there is this level playing field, illegal taxi operators cannot be allowed to operate.”

Referring to recent allegations of attacks on uber drivers Mr Wash said, “while we condemn any acts of violence by anyone on anyone, it is also the ultimate in hypocrisy for police and government to tell taxi operators not to take the law into their own hands when they themselves refuse to uphold the law by policing and stopping illegal taxi operators.