Taxis

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From the Courier Mail click here!

Queensland taxi drivers set to strike over stalled industry reforms

Queensland taxi drivers set to strike over stalled industry reforms

    * by Tuck Thompson
    * From: The Courier-Mail
    * December 23, 2010 12:00AM

CABBIES will park their cars on Wednesday in protest over the Government's failure to implement taxi industry reforms that were recommended by Workplace Rights Ombudsman Don Brown six months ago.

Cab Drivers Association of Queensland secretary Lee Sims said he was summoned to a meeting on Tuesday with Transport Minister Rachel Nolan but it produced no results.

"It is all smoke and mirrors – typical public service rhetoric," Mr Sims said.

"The minister thinks she is doing all that is necessary to put the industry on the right path and, unfortunately, that is why she should not be allowed to continue in her role."

Hundreds of cabbies are expected to take part in the hour-long work stoppage at Victoria Park.

Mr Brown urged cab companies not to threaten drivers who attend.

In a statement, a spokesman for Ms Nolan disputed a lack of action.

"The Government's response to the Ombudsman's report gives taxi drivers the highest level of protection from exploitation they've ever had," it said. "It ensures that there are written agreements between drivers and operators and it makes disputes appealable to QCAT as the independent umpire."

"Not everyone got what they wanted," the statement said, noting unlike the Ombudsman, the Government had to consider industry "economics."

Ms Nolan did not answer The Courier-Mail's request to list the reforms she had implemented.

Among Mr Brown's reforms are the creation of a taxi industry tribunal, the training of drivers by independent agencies rather than cab companies, the end of set-pay for drivers, and 50-50 bailment agreements where owners cover petrol costs.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Brisbane taxi drivers to strike today

Brisbane taxi drivers to strike today
Marissa Calligeros
December 29, 2010 - 11:15AM

Brisbane taxi drivers are planning to stop work at lunch time today to protest industry reforms they argue will rob them of adequate wages.

Cab Drivers' Association of Queensland secretary Lee Simms said drivers would continue to be short-changed under government-imposed reforms that force drivers to pay for petrol and limit their takings to 45 per cent of each fare.

Following an eight-month review of the industry, the state government introduced new measures last month including a tougher English test for drivers.

"The review recommended drivers receive 50 per cent of their fares, but the government scaled that back to 45 per cent," Mr Simms said.

"This leaves drivers starving."

Mr Simms said he expected up to 200 drivers to stop work today, although many have taken leave ahead of the busy New Year period.

"We have chosen to strike today to limit as much as possible the impact on customers," he said.

The drivers are preparing to meet in Victoria Park near Gilchrist Avenue, Herston, for an hour from midday.

"We will keep this brief, but we may drive through the city, just to send a message to Parliament that we cannot be railroaded," Mr Simms said.

Mr Simms said the new English test would not be needed if standards had not been left to slide after an influx of foreign students became taxi drivers.

"These recommendations will make absolutely no difference, because it has been put in the hands of the cab companies to implement," he said.

"The companies couldn't get it right in the first place, so why would they get it right now?

"The government is subjecting more than 90 per cent of the industry to unfair industrial relations."

The association is pushing for further reform to help the ailing profession, which it says has experienced a significant decline in patronage.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan revealed last month that six applicants had failed the English test, since it was implemented on November 1.

Taxi Council of Queensland chief executive officer Blair Davies has said he was happy with the reforms.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Another cab fare hike for Brisbane

Another cab fare hike for Brisbane
Daniel Hurst
January 7, 2011 - 5:26PMt

Brisbane cab passengers face a fare hike for the second time in six months.

brisbanetimes.com.au has learnt of a state government decision to increase cab fares by 2.27 per cent following a request from the taxi industry.

The increase is due to come into effect on January 29, and follows a 4.2 per cent rise in late July.

Taxi Council of Queensland chief executive Blair Davies said the increases were required to cover rising costs.

"Our taxi drivers and operators have been doing it very tough over the last 12 months and very much needed this fare increase," he said.

Mr Davies said although cab fares were increased in mid-2010, there were no increases in 2009.

He said the latest increase was based on an analysis of costs the industry had experienced between April 1 and September 30, 2010, such as labour, fuel, vehicle upkeep and insurance.

Mr Davies defended the standard of service cab passengers received, saying taxis remained a value-for-money option.

"Cabs in Brisbane aren't the reserve of people who are the affluent members of society; we've got all of the cross-section of the population catching cabs, from old people to young people, from rich people to pensioners," he said.

The quality of cab services has been a matter of wide-ranging debate over the past few years.

The state government responded to criticism by announcing several measures, including a requirement for all new taxi drivers to take an English test.

It has also promised to publish average taxi waiting times on a departmental website.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Taxi customers to cop fare rise

Taxi customers to cop fare rise
Georgia Waters
May 9, 2011 - 11:34AM

A federal excise on LPG will push up taxi fares and force cab drivers away from using the low-emissions fuel, the taxi industry has warned.

The planned excise on liquefied petroleum gas, in 2.5c per litre increments over the next five years, resulting in a final excise of 12.5c a litre, was announced by the former Howard government in an energy white paper in 2004.

The Gillard government revealed in last year's federal budget it would go ahead with imposing the excise.

LPG is currently exempt from an excise, while the excise on petrol is 38.1c a litre.

The federal government is expecting to introduce legislation to implement the excise later this week, and start imposing it from July 1.

Taxi Council of Queensland CEO Blair Davies said 90 per cent of Australian cabs currently used LPG.

''[The excise increase] will be a 20 per cent increase in the cost of fuel for running a cab when it reaches 12.5 cents a litre,'' he said.

''Fuel's one of the most significant costs in running a cab and we'd expect to have to charge between three and five per cent extra on cab fares.''

LPG currently costs between 61c and 64c a litre in Brisbane, less than half the price of unleaded petrol.

Mr Davies said it was ''crazy'' for a government to be considering a carbon tax while at the same time moving to increase the cost of a low-emissions fuel.

He said it would likely push cab owners away from LPG towards hybrid vehicles, which was something they'd prefer to do willingly, rather than being forced.

''The taxi industry is heavily reliant on LPG. Consequently for the industry to move to an alternate fuel source will need a significant amount of restructuring.

''The thing that surprises us is that the government's trying to put in place a carbon tax and at the very same time the fuel source which would be natural for people to migrate to they're putting an excise on it.

''Strategically that doesn't make any sense. People should be encouraged to move to a cleaner, greener fuel.''

LPG Australia estimates a carbon tax would add a further 4.5 cents a litre to the cost of LPG.

The federal government has spent an estimated $400 million over the past five years encouraging motorists and cab companies to convert their cars to LPG.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/taxi-customers-to-cop-fare-rise-20110509-1eeup.html#ixzz1Lsm6iXcE

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Cab fares to rise as tax hits LPG fuel

Cab fares to rise as tax hits LPG fuel

    Simon Benson and Robyn Ironside
    From: The Courier-Mail
    May 27, 2011 12:00AM

TAXI fares will start increasing in Sydney from next year when the federal government imposes a fuel tax on LPG for the first time, the Taxi Council has warned.

Treasury officials confirmed in an estimates hearing this week that more than 600,000 taxis and motorists who run cars on gas will pay 20 per cent more under the planned new tax on alternative fuels, to be phased in from December 1.

The tax, first flagged by the Howard government in 2004 and confirmed in Treasurer Wayne Swan's May budget, will raise an extra $518 million over the next four years.

It will add 2.5c to the cost of a litre of LPG per year until a peak of 12.5c per litre by 2015, so motorists who were encouraged to convert to LPG will end up paying more.

Treasury estimates suggest the tax will add only 19c to the average metropolitan taxi fare. LPG bowser prices would also continue to stay at about half that of unleaded petrol.

As one of the biggest users of LPG because of its relative cheapness, the Australian Taxi Industry Association is aghast the government is taxing the "clean green fuel'' at a time it's also trying to impose a carbon tax on polluting fossil fuels.

Blair Davies from the ATIA will outline the industry's concerns to a parliamentary economics committee in Sydney today.

He said the tax would hurt the most disadvantaged in the community.

"There's plenty of people out there who struggle to meet the cost of living and can't afford their own car,'' Mr Davies said.

"They're depending on a taxi service and they budget down to their last ten cents. The last thing they need is for taxi fares to go up simply because we're paying more to the Federal Government.''

Mr Davies said it made no sense to be taxing alternative fuels like LPG at a time when a carbon tax was being considered.

"I think five or six years ago when this was being planned the economic rationalists figured this was a good place for governments to get some more income,''

"I don't think these guys were anticipating there was going to be a carbon tax.''

He said fuel represented about 15 per cent of a taxi's operating costs and the tax would add about five per cent to the cost of a cab fare.

The NSW Taxi Council claimed the excise would add at least 50 cents to the cost of an average 7km taxi journey.

"Our fares are regulated by the government," Taxi Council chief executive Peter Ramshaw said. "There is no question that they (fares) will go up - it will be passed on."

Last night it emerged the Liberal party room was split over the tax, with many believing they should support it considering it was once Liberal Party policy.

But Opposition economics committee deputy chairman Steve Ciobo said: "Labor just doesn't get that the cost of living is out of control.

"This means more pain at the pump for people with LPG cars and more expensive bus tickets and taxi fares for people who commute."

Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten said the excise, which is supported by the NRMA, would ensure all road users paid their share for better roads regardless of their fuel.