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LETTER TO THE MINISTER officially hand-delivered to on April 10th 2019
Dear Minister
In November 2017, taxi plate owners were advised that there would be a four year cap on the number of taxi plates, as specified in the ‘Government proposal taxi buy-back scheme’.
Based on the attached document recently provided to a TOLD member by the Department of Transport, this commitment now appears to have been removed.
Can you please provide urgent advice in relation to this matter.
If this “cap’ has in fact been removed, this is a serious issue and one that comes as a surprise to owners.
Many people made investment decisions based on the Government’s offer.
A change of this nature is a reckless decision taken without consulting taxi industry stakeholders and is causing additional distress to taxi owners. TOLD is the biggest taxi representative group in Western Australia and has not been consulted about this radical change. We have also been advised by Swan Taxis – the State’s biggest taxi dispatcher, that they also have not been consulted.
You know that the recent taxi reforms have had a serious and dramatic impact on the taxi industry. You have been previously informed about the traumatic experience for several elderly owners whom, for the first time in their lives, now need to visit social security offices and apply for the Government pension.
You assured the taxi industry that the four year “cap” would apply in order for the industry to adjust to the significant impacts resulting from the reforms.
Many people have put their trust in your hands, Minister. Please ensure that the four year cap on the number of taxi plates is applied as promised.
Regards, TOLD directors
The above correspondence is asking the Minister to re-consider the decision made by her Department to remove the 4 years moratorium (which she initially promised in writing). The current plate lessees and taxi pools are pushing to have the plates re-assigned into their name. We are suggesting not to sign/send any documents and wait for the Minister’s response, which will be published in the next TOLD Newsletter (May 15th 2019).
TOLD questions (for DOT) in regards to the reforms
1. If taxi plates owners will decide NOT to participate in the buy-back scheme. What consequences are to follow? Please explain:
a. What will happen to the plate owners?
b. What will happen to the plates itself?
2. After the reforms are introduced, what annual DOT fees will be applicable to?
a. Taxi vehicles.
b. Ride-sharing vehicles.
3. Will the ‘price surging’ practices be legal for?
a. Taxi Vehicles.
b. Ride sharing vehicles.
4. Will the annual mechanical inspection (PIT) be applicable to?
a. Taxi vehicles.
b. Ride sharing vehicles.
5. What work has the DOT done in regards to the insurance charges in order to follow the Ministers order to create a ‘level playing field?’ And why are the taxi vehicles being charge triple the amount to the ride sharing vehicles?
6. As officially stated by your compliance manager “ the new legislation does NOT prohibit second taxi meter installation” What support will be given by the DOT to operators who would like to operate on few different dispatch platforms in order to fulfil the Ministers intention to allow just that?
7. For the safety of the WA public, we request from DOT to be more specific of how the ride sharing vehicles will need to be marked?
8. Is the DOT aware about any financial incentives provided to the Taxi Dispatch companies in Perth in order to help implement the new system?
HOW TO VOTE AT THE COMING FEDERALELECTION
Shout out to all your family, friends, and acquaintances, the immoral story of how a State Liberal Government permitted Uber to operateillegally and unregulated in Western Australia. Tell them how all major parties have turned their backs on the plight of taxi owners and encourage them to register their protest at the ballot box.
This is the tragic story of how small business battlers, working a lifetime of long hours, have been robbed of their assets, their super and their dignity.
This is the greedy story of how the Young Liberals President (Tom White) successfully lobbied the Liberal Party to embrace the “ridesharing” concept and shortly afterwards took up a senior position withUber. He did this with the full knowledge and support of the then Premier (Colin Barnett) who is on record as saying that taxi owners do not deserve any compensation.
This is the story of betrayal by the then Shadow Transport Minister (Rita Saffioti), who initiallypromised full compensation, then watered this downto just $162k per plate with taxi owners being permitted to keep their plates. These promises wererecorded in Hansard.
Since becoming Transport Minister, she has further reduced the offer to a mere $100k with a 4-year moratorium on the issue of new taxi plates – a moratorium which has since been removed!
No politician can claim ignorance of our plight. After all, countless letters and emails have been written alerting them to the impact of these policies on our health and wellbeing. And yet these hypocrites dare to promise action on National TV to deal with the increasing prevalence of mental health issues in our society. When they themselves contribute to this disturbing trend by enacting legislation which causes hardship and heartbreak to so many innocent people.
Federal politicians are no better, all of them side-stepping responsibility by shifting the blame to their State Government counterparts.
The fact is, all politicians, no matter what their stripe, have “blood on their hands” for failing to stand up and support our embattled Australian Taxi Industry. Taxi owners and operators have lost faith in a political system which has destroyed their lives and their livelihood.
Little wonder that politicians are now considered as untrustworthy as car dealers, real estate agents, and drug dealers. It is time for payback! Time to put the major parties on notice by putting them all last on our ballot papers. None of them is deserving of ourtrust or our VOTE. We urge you to vote instead for your favourite Independent or minor party candidate.
Small Business Party (Western Australia) smallbusinessparty.net
This week taxi drivers in Warsaw (Poland) blocked the entire city-centre. The protest ended up outside the American embassy after it became official that the US ambassador was lobbying for Uber. At the present moment there is no US ambassador in Australia. However, current Australian politicians ‘have done the lobbying’ for them. They have supported Uber in each and every state, and even bent Australian laws to embrace Uber!!! This resulting in BILLIONS of Australian dollars to be transferred to San Francisco (via Amsterdam).YES, it is like financial rape committed by politicians against our country. J.G.
Look forward our mid-May Newsletter. We wish you healthy and joyful Easter.
TOLD directors.
