NSW TAXI COUNCIL CALLS FOR BANS TO ROGUE TAXI DRIVERS FROM SYDNEY AIRPORT

The NSW Taxi Council is calling for rogue Taxi drivers to be banned from Sydney Airport, as part of a Four Point Plan released last week.

CEO, Nick Abrahim was on 2GB's Ben Fordham Breakfast Program this morning, discussing a measure to ban Taxi drivers who choose to overcharge passengers and tarnish all of the good work being done by our "Hard Working Cabbies".

Nick went on to mention that, "For many, driving a Taxi is their livelihood and we will not allow those who choose to do the wrong thing and undo all of the great work being done. We want to give passengers the confidence and certainty that when they choose a Taxi, they will have the financial security and not get ripped off."

Nick also discussed with John Stanley, the importance of not only focusing on the bad drivers, but also targeting the very few Service Providers who seem to be condoning and supporting this rogue behaviour.

"We need to stand together as an Industry, and send a strong message to those who choose to do the wrong thing."

CLICK HERE to listen to the full interview from the 2GB Breakfast Program, with John Stanley.

MEDIA RELEASE:
NSW TAXI COUNCIL ANNOUNCES FOUR POINT PLAN TO TACKLE ROGUE BEHAVIOUR

The NSW Taxi Council has released a four point plan as a measure to tackle rogue behaviour and to give passengers confidence and certainty when using a Taxi.

The NSW Taxi Council acknowledges that whilst the majority of taxi drivers are doing the right thing, more needs to be done to target a number of Rogue Drivers who may think it is OK to flout the law and overcharge passengers. This behaviour is tarnishing all of the good work being done by most drivers and needs to stop.

NSW Taxi Council CEO, Nick Abrahim said:

“We need to send a stronger message to those drivers who are overcharging passengers and who are undoing the great work of the majority in our Industry. To those who choose to do the wrong thing, your time as a Taxi driver is up!

Driving a Taxi is the livelihood for many – putting food on the table and roofs over their heads. I know I speak for the majority of these hard working Cabbies and Operators when we call for tougher measures to stamp out the rogues. Put simply, we don’t want them in our Industry driving Taxis”.

The NSW Taxi Council has released the Four Point Plan and is calling on the NSW Government to support Industry and assist with the implementation of the following measures;

Increase penalties for first fare related offence from $1,000 to $3,000. This penalty should also apply to the refusal of a passenger with an Assistance Animal.
Regulate more rigorous Standards for Taxi Meters for Rank and Hail Fares
Implement a system (Green List) at Sydney Airport providing an opportunity to ban Drivers who continue to offend.
Move to a Centralised Driver Identity System providing Industry with greater transparency for Drivers who are removed from a Service Provider.

The NSW Taxi Council in conjunction with Industry, has been working with Sydney Airport on the implementation of the Taxi Concierge program at all three terminals at Sydney Airport. This has been a positive initiative, helping deliver enhanced customer experiences as well as reporting of incidents, since going live on 30th June, 2025.

Nick added, “We want to take the data and insight we are receiving from the Concierge Program and implement additional measures to ensure we give passengers the confidence and certainty when using Taxis. This includes tougher penalties against those drivers who choose to do the wrong thing”.

The NSW Taxi Council acknowledges the commitment and support of key Stakeholders, including Sydney Airport, the NSW Government, together with the NSW Point to Point Transport Commissioner in working with Industry to address the issues around Drivers overcharging passengers.

It is imperative that we introduce these additional measures to weed out those drivers who are breaking the law.

For any fare related complaints, passengers are encouraged to contact the Point to Point Transport Commissioners Fare Related Hotline on 1800 500 410.

For any media enquiries, please contact Nick Abrahim, Chief Executive Officer at the NSW Taxi Council, Email – nick@nswtaxi.org.au or call 02 8339 4644.

MEDIA RELEASE:
MINNS LABOR GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE TAXI AVAILABILITY
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Source: NSW Government Media Release

The Minns Labor Government is continuing to deliver fair access to Wheelchair Accessible Taxis in NSW by offering $2,500 operational support grants and a new round of interest-free loans to eligible operators.

The $2,500 grant for eligible Wheelchair Accessible Taxi vehicle owners is part of a $15 million emergency package announced late last year and it is intended to address the shortage of Wheelchair Accessible Taxis in NSW.

It will help with the higher costs associated with operating a Wheelchair Accessible Taxi on the road compared to a standard taxi, and will be open to applications commencing Tuesday, 5 August 2025.

Wheelchair Accessible Taxis are an essential part of the NSW transport system and help people with disability to get to health appointments, engage in employment and education and participate in social activities.

Nick Abrahim, Chief Executive Officer, NSW Taxi Council, said:

"The NSW Taxi Council welcomes this new round of grants and interest free loans being announced by the Ministers' involved as a positive step towards supporting Operators of Wheelchair Accessible Taxis.

We look forward to continuing our work with the relevant Ministers as we look for longer term support for Wheelchair Taxi Operators to ensure ongoing viability of these services, so that the vulnerable members of our society have ongoing access to transport."

Further details on both the operational support grants and the Wheelchair Accessible Taxi Loan Scheme will be available from Monday 4 August 2025, on the Transport for NSW website at:
https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/p2p-accessible-initiatives

To read the full Media Release, CLICK HERE.

NSW TAXI COUNCIL ROLLS OUT TAXI CONCIERGE PROGRAM AT SYDNEY AIRPORT

The NSW Taxi Council has officially rolled out the Taxi Concierge Program at Sydney Airport as a measure to enhance the customer experience for passengers using Taxis at Sydney Airport.

The program commenced on Monday, 30 June 2025, with Concierge staff operating at International Terminal 1 and Domestic Terminals 2 and 3 to assist with connecting passengers with Taxis, as well as providing support with luggage, mobility/accessibility and information services. The service will also help improve passengers connection with Taxis when using a Cabcharge or TTSS product as their payment method.

The program has been designed to support Taxi drivers and help improve service standards. The Taxi Concierge will also focus on helping address non-compliant behaviour, such as refusal of fares, Assistance Animals, Cabcharge & TTSS as well as overcharging incidents, through a dedicated reporting system that enables enforcement and builds confidence with the travelling public.

NSW Taxi Council CEO Nick Abrahim said, “For many, Sydney Airport is the gateway to our world-class city, and we want to match that with world-class service.” The program has received strong support from Industry Stakeholders including GM Cabs, 13cabs, Business Sydney and Sydney Airport.

The six-month trial, approved by Sydney Airport, includes Concierge representatives wearing hi-vis, NSW Taxi Council uniform, on-site during peak hours, on most days (6am–10am and 7pm–11pm). Services will also ramp up for the winter holiday period, with daily support available from 5 July to 20 July, and extended services for arriving passengers continuing until 27 July.

The NSW Taxi Council would like to thank Sydney Airport, the Taxi Concierge Team led by Toufic and Carlos, as well as Industry Stakeholders for their ongoing collaboration in bringing this valuable service to market and we look forward to seeing the benefits of the program.

REMINDER TAXI FARES FOR RANK AND HAIL TRIPS HAVE CHANGED FROM 1 JULY 2025

Please note that Set Fares from Sydney Airport will NOT be commencing from 1 July 2025. Details about Set Fares are still to be confirmed. The NSW Taxi Council will continue to work with the NSW Government around this opportunity and will be in touch once further details are known.

TAXI DRIVER AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

Copy of Taxi Ambassador Launch Video Cover Page (3).jpg

The Taxi Driver Ambassador Program is a training program that has been established to help taxi drivers deliver higher service standards for a world class experience for tourists and visitors in our world class city.

The program focuses on providing the best of the best taxi services, from the moment a tourist arrives, during their stay and when they are travelling home at the end of their visit.

The program aims to:

Improve passenger experiences, especially for visitors to our city.
Enable taxi drivers to deliver higher service & safety standards.
Enhance driver knowledge of Sydney's landmarks and attractions.
Contribute to a world-class experience for tourists and visitors.
Heighten awareness around transporting vulnerable passengers, particularly passengers with a disability, including wheelchair users.