INVITATION
The lawyer from ‘Maurice and Blackburn’ will be visiting Perth for the second time to meet people participating in Class Action against Uber. Please reserve your time for Thursday, 28th February 2019.
Time: 7.00 pm.
Place: “The Rice” Centre.
Location: 28 Eight Ave. Maylands
Important note: Cut Off date for Uber Class Action participation have been extended until 22nd March 2019. Any questions regarding application will be answered at this meeting.
GENERAL TOLD NEWS
The DOT will begin to roll out the on-demand industry reforms in March/April this year. TOLD directors are in constant communication with the department regarding this, as the DOT will be the main body authorised to implement the Government legislation.
Subjects discussed at the last meeting;
In the last month TOLD Newsletter (January 2019) we published 17 Questions and Answers frequently asked by taxi drivers. Another set of 10 questions (below) have been e-mailed to DOT and the answers will be published in March.
TOLD Directors
FOLLOWING QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN FORWARDED TO THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT:
1. What was the process for overwriting the Minister’s promise of 4 year moratorium on the number of taxi plates?
2. What will be the action taken by DOT against multinational (overseas registered) platforms to stop them operating outside the WA’s current law?
3. Why is this buy-back called ‘voluntary’ if the drivers who decide not to accept the Government offer will have their right to operate their taxi terminated?
4. We understand that taxi plate owners will be able to hold on to their current plates providing that the new ‘Authorisation’ is obtained. What happens to the plates that are returned? Is DOT going to reutilise them or take them of the road permanently?
5. Drivers who are entering into a private agreement with passengers (private bookings) will need to register own TDS or sign ‘Association Agreement’ with their main job provider in order to collect ‘levy’. What will happen if the main service provider will refuse to sign such agreement and collect the ‘levy’ on the driver’s behalf?
6. If the major TDS obtains its own ‘Authorisation’for a particular vehicle, and the driver will decide to obtain its own. Is the fee going to be charged twice?
7. Has Uber applied for the official TDS licence? Will it be possible for Uber to operate without having the official authorisation (such as TDS)?
8. Recently the taxi industry has experienced an increased number of ‘runners’. If the taxi meter will register a job and the customer ‘does a runner’ (has not paid) who will be accountable for the 10% levy payment?
9. As informed, DOT has been asked to evaluate /commend on ‘levy collection formula’ by the Ministers office. Was the Department presented with the TOLD preferred option (prepared by ‘Ernst and Young’ accountants’) at that time?
10. How much was left in the “Taxi Development Fund” and why was it directed to so call ‘Consolidated Account’? Is the taxi industry able to use it if need occurs?
