Please read carefully and take urgent action
The Transport Bill is currently being dealt with by the Parliament. Major changes to the on-demand transport industry will result from the Bill.
The most significant matter is the proposed buyback amount to be paid to taxi owners.
If the buyback amount proposed is not changed, approximately 80% of plate owners will only receive $100,000. The true value should be $290,000.
TOLD does not oppose the buyback of plates, but the buyback amount is not fair or reasonable.
TOLD can now confirm that the Bill has passed the Legislative Assembly (lower house) and is expected to be considered by the Legislative Council(upper house) as early as next week.
TOLD has prepared an email for taxi owners to send to all Members of Parliament (see below).
You should let ALL members of Parliament know that the proposed buyback amount is not acceptable.
TOLD strongly encourages you to let them know the facts around the taxi buyback and that there is a better alternative that is fair and reasonable to everyone.
We have also included instructions to help you if you are unsure how to send the email.
As this matter is now URGENT TOLD recommends the following actions:
- Send the below in an email to all members of Parliament ASAP
- Follow up by ringing the Legislative Council Members of Parliament and tell them about the alternative approach and to “do the right thing”
Finally,when TOLD gets enough notice of the date and time that the Legislative Council will debate the Transport Bill,we will advise you (via sms) and ask you to join us at Parliament House; most likely the debate will take place Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.
We cannot miss this chance, chance to express our disappointment – your presence there is vital!
TOLD Directors
LETTER TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE WA PARLIAMENT
Dear member of the Western Australian Parliament
Re: On-demand transport Bill
As a Member of Parliament, you have a chance to do what is right and just
The Western Australian Parliament is currently dealing with very important Bills that will significantly affect the lives and wellbeing of taxi owners and their families. The Transport (Road Passenger Services) Bill 2018 and the Transport (Road Passenger Services) Amendment Bill 2018 will result in major changes to the on-demand transport industry.
Taxi owners are not opposed to change, but the Bills in their current form do not pass the “fair and reasonable” test.
The proposal before Parliament is to buyback taxi plates for approximately one third of their value and to fund this buyback by introducing a 10% levy on all on-demand transport fares.
This proposal is neither fair nor reasonable to both taxi owners and the public.
As a Member of Parliament, you have a chance to help get this important industry reform right. There is an alternative approach that achieves this outcome.
Taxi plate owners believe that the State Government can adequately pay taxi owners and have all future operators in the new on-demand transport industry fund the buyback through a relatively modest annual licence fee, with no impact on the public
Historical Context
- For over 50 years, successive State Governments have recognised and perpetuated taxi plate values.
- Taxi owners have entered the Perth taxi industry under the regulatory environment established and continued by WA State Governments during that time, including the:
– issuing of taxi plates at a “premium” (calculation based on market value),
– charging a transfer fee for taxi plate sales based on a percentage of taxi plate values, and
– upgrading taxi plates at a cost relative to market values (ie peak period taxis upgraded to full time taxis).
Alternative Taxi Buyback Proposal
- Buyback value of taxi plates to be consistent with the value of taxi plates prior to the unregulated introduction of UBER, as calculated by Ernst & Young – $290,000.
- All new on-demand transport operators to pay a weekly fee of $75, which is to be used to fund the buyback costs to existing taxi owners**.
- On-demand transport (including taxi) fares to no longer be set by Government, to provide for competition.
- Once a fair and reasonable taxi buyback is implemented, there can be unlimited entry to the new taxi (on-demand) industry.
** There are approximately 1,000 taxis that would need to be included as part of a buyback. 1,000 taxis multiplied by $290,000 per taxi, equals a total buyback cost of $290m.
There are currently 15,000 on-demand vehicles operating in Perth. Multiply this number by a $75 per week licence fee, would result in a revenue of $58.5m per year.
$58.5m per year would enable the buyback cost to be repaid in approximately 5 years (plus an additional period to cover the interest on the buyback amount).
Outcomes of Alternative Taxi Buyback Proposal
- Taxi owners to receive a fair and reasonable buyback price for their taxi plates, as a result of changes in regulation of the on-demand (taxi) industry.
- No cost to the public (ie a 10% levy on taxi fares) to fund the tax plate buyback – buyback to be funded by future participants in the on-demand transport industry.
- Buyback to be repaid in a short time.
- Once buyback cost is repaid, on-demand licence fees can be reduced to cover only the cost of administering the on-demand industry.
- The proposed buyback arrangements will result in a significantly lower level of compliance and administrative costs to introduce and manage the new regulatory environment (ie no enforcement of a10% levy on taxi fares).
Perth taxi owners need your urgent help to achieve a fair and reasonable outcome.
Without this, there will be serious consequences to the health and financial circumstances of taxi drivers and their families.
We simply ask you to help achieve a buyback price for our plates that is right and just.
Kind Regards
Metropolitan Taxi plate owner
“A time will come when uber-like companies will be considered global economic terrorists. They don’t come with weapons but an artillery of money that destroys the livelihood of thousands around the world” (JG2017)
GENERAL INSTRUCTION
Please copy and paste all email addresses into the “To” email address bar.
Make sure you add your Name and TAXI plate number at the bottom of the letter.
Aaron.Stonehouse@mp.wa.gov.au, adele.farina@mp.wa.gov.au, clohesy.emetro@mp.wa.gov.au, Minister.MacTiernan@dpc.wa.gov.au, alison.xamon@mp.wa.gov.au, kate.doust@mp.wa.gov.au, Charles.Smith@mp.wa.gov.au, colin.holt@mp.wa.gov.au, Colin.Tincknell.MLC@mp.wa.gov.au, Colin.DeGrussa@mp.wa.gov.au, darren.west.mp@mp.wa.gov.au, Diane.Evers@mp.wa.gov.au, faragher.eastmetro@mp.wa.gov.au, sally.talbot@mp.wa.gov.au, Steve.Thomas@mp.wa.gov.au, Jacqui.Boydell@mp.wa.gov.au, Tim.Clifford@mp.wa.gov.au, ken.baston@mp.wa.gov.au, Kyle.McGinn@mp.wa.gov.au, laurie.graham@mp.wa.gov.au, martin.aldridge@mp.wa.gov.au, Martin.Pritchard@mp.wa.gov.au, Swinbourn.emetro@mp.wa.gov.au, michael.mischin@mp.wa.gov.au, nick.goiran@mp.wa.gov.au, peter.collier@mp.wa.gov.au, pierre.yang.mp@mp.wa.gov.au, rick.mazza@mp.wa.gov.au, Robin.Scott@mp.wa.gov.au, robin.chapple@mp.wa.gov.au, simon.obrien@mp.wa.gov.au, samantha.rowe@mp.wa.gov.au, stephen.dawsonmp@mp.wa.gov.au, Minister.Dawson@dpc.wa.gov.au, tony.buti@mp.wa.gov.au, Minister.Wyatt@dpc.wa.gov.au, Dave.Kelly@mp.wa.gov.au, Minister.Kelly@dpc.wa.gov.au, Minister.Templeman@dpc.wa.gov.au, terry.redman@mp.wa.gov.au, mike.nahan@mp.wa.gov.au, Minister.Logan@dpc.wa.gov.au, fran.logan@mp.wa.gov.au, Minister.Quigley@dpc.wa.gov.au, liza.harvey@mp.wa.gov.au, mark.mcgowan@mp.wa.gov.au, wa-government@dpc.wa.gov.au, Mia.Davies@mp.wa.gov.au, Minister.Murray@dpc.wa.gov.au, mick.murray@mp.wa.gov.au, midland@mp.wa.gov.au, Minister.Roberts@dpc.wa.gov.au, Minister.Papalia@dpc.wa.gov.au, Minister.Tinley@dpc.wa.gov.au, Minister.Saffioti@dpc.wa.gov.au, Minister.Cook@dpc.wa.gov.au, Minister.McGurk@dpc.wa.gov.au, fremantle@mp.wa.gov.au, cannington@mp.wa.gov.au, Minister.Johnston@dpc.wa.gov.au, bill.marmion@mp.wa.gov.au, mirrabooka@mp.wa.gov.au, maylands@mp.wa.gov.au, carine@mp.wa.gov.au, victoriapark@mp.wa.gov.au, thornlie@mp.wa.gov.au, david.templeman@mp.wa.gov.au, cottesloe@mp.wa.gov.au, david.michael@mp.wa.gov.au, Dean.Nalder@mp.wa.gov.au, Bunbury@mp.wa.gov.au, john.mcgrath@mp.wa.gov.au, john.carey@mp.wa.gov.au, john.quigley@mp.wa.gov.au, kevin.michel@mp.wa.gov.au, kyran.odonnell@mp.wa.gov.au, mark.folkard@mp.wa.gov.au, matthew.hughes@mp.wa.gov.au, paul.papalia@mp.wa.gov.au, hillarys@mp.wa.gov.au, peter.watson@mp.wa.gov.au, willagee@mp.wa.gov.au, peter.rundle@mp.wa.gov.au, Baldivis@mp.wa.gov.au, kwinana@mp.wa.gov.au, MooreElectorate@mp.wa.gov.au, Churchlands@mp.wa.gov.au, simon.millman.mla@mp.wa.gov.au, terry.healy@mp.wa.gov.au, stephen.price@mp.wa.gov.au, northwest@mp.wa.gov.au, yaz.mubarakai@mp.wa.gov.au, zak.kirkup@mp.wa.gov.au, jessica.stojkovski@mp.wa.gov.au, bicton@mp.wa.gov.au, robyn.clarke@mp.wa.gov.au, amber.jade.sanderson@mp.wa.gov.au, cassie.rowe@mp.wa.gov.au, libby.mettam@mp.wa.gov.au, emily.hamilton@mp.wa.gov.au, jessica.shaw@mp.wa.gov.au, Josie.Farrer@mp.wa.gov.au
PLEASE FOLLOW UP YOUR EMAIL BY A PHONECALL TO THE BELOW:
List of ‘Upper House’ members to be telephoned re: Transport Bill
- Tim Clifford ( Greens) 92748484
- AlisnXamon (Greens) 94868010
- Colin Tincknell (One Nation) 94868106
- Robin Scott (One Nation) 90931455
- Rick Mazza (Shutters, Fishers, Farmers) 94816070
- Aaron Stonehouse (Lib/Democrats) 9226 3550
- Peter Collier (Liberals) 9203 9588
- Nick Gorain (Liberals) 93983800
- Michal Mischin (Liberals) 93011896
- Stephen Dawson (Labor) 65526200
- Sue Ellery (Labor) 65525700
- Kate Doust (Labor) 94703511
Key discussion points for phoning Members of Parliament
- The current Taxi Bill is not fair nor reasonable – the buyback value is too low.
- The Government proposes to pay taxi owners only $100,000 for their plates and to fund this buyback by charging a 10% levy on taxi fares.
- Taxi owners have a solution – an alternative to the Government’s proposal.
- Taxi owners believe the full value of taxi plates can be paid ($290,000) and this can be funded by a weekly licence fee ($75) paid by all future on-demand operators (currently there are 15,000 in Perth).
- Governments over the last 50 years have created and perpetuated the taxi plate values through:
– The issuing of taxi plates based on market values (Premium Plates)
– Transfer fees for the selling of plates (percentage of taxi plate values)
– Cost to upgrade plates (fee paid for peak period taxis to be upgraded to fulltime taxis)
- The taxi owners’ solution:
– will have no direct impact on future on-demand transport users (ie no 10% levy),
– will result in taxi fare completion (no longer set by Government),
– is fairer to taxi owners (we will receive a fair buyback value),
– will be funded by those that choose to participate in the on-demand transport industry,
– will be repaid in a reasonable time, and
– will provide for a simpler and easier compliance model.
- Members of Parliament have an important opportunity to do the right and just thing for taxi owners.
- Failure to do so will see serious health consequences for taxi owners (mental health and possibly suicide), financial devastation (with possible bankruptcy) and breakdown in families.
- Taxi owners only want what is fair and reasonable – where everyone wins!
DOWNLOAD TOLD NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2018
This information is also available as a downloadable MS Word document TOLD News October 2018
