Media Release
October 24, 2016
Taxi Council Queensland (TCQ) has labelled the State Government “naive in the extreme” if they believe that their new rideshare regulation is about Uber, and has urged MPs and the media to look at the wider ramification of the new regulatory changes.
TCQ Chief Executive Officer Benjamin Wash said he was shocked to hear Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe recently say that rideshare was safe because people could see the picture of the driver on an app.
“It appears that they have made these changes under the assumption that it is about one foreign company. This is unprecedented.
“Surely they are aware that the legislation is far wider reaching and that now, anyone of any age and experience with any vehicle in any location can start a rideshare business whether they have an app or not.”
Mr Wash said the changes now make it legal for anyone to start transporting passengers with no consumer protection guidelines, no pricing boundaries and no service standards.
“This is what passenger transport has become, and many people have already started running their own dodgy services, putting people in danger with the full support of the Queensland Government.”
Mr Wash said even the media have fallen into the trap.
“Journalists ask me about Uber, but they must realise that Uber is one player and there will be others as well as many individuals. It’s a free-for-all.
“Who is going to take responsibility for the inevitable deaths, assaults, thefts and rip-offs that will occur under a system where anyone can do whatever they like?” he asked.
“The Government could have made rideshare legal by putting in place sensible safety based regulations, but instead they decided to eliminate all safety and service measures.
“There will be severe consequences.”
ENDS