Media Release
The NSW Taxi Council has requested all the Taxi Licence Owners in NSW to reach out to their Local Member of Parliament in NSW to sign the NSW Taxi Industry Pledge in support of fair and proper compensation for all Taxi Licence Owners in NSW.
Taxi Licence Owners in NSW have lost the value of their NSW Taxi Licences since the NSW Government changed the rules governing the Taxi Industry in 2016. Transport for NSW are preparing a Bill on further reforms in the Point to Point Transport Industry to be introduced into the NSW Parliament in early 2022. The bill proposes to cancel all existing Taxi Licences with inadequate compensation and issue unlimited annual licences for a small fee, as well as abolishing operating areas and deregulating fares.
CEO of the NSW Taxi Council, Martin Rogers said, “The NSW Government destroyed the savings of Taxi licence owners in how they legalised rideshare in 2015 and subsequent reforms in 2016 and fair and proper compensation, is the vital, first step for the NSW Government to get right. The NSW Taxi Council has proposed a workable, no-net cost to the NSW Government solution.”
Mr Rogers further added, “We agree with the Government when they say they want to make it as easy and smooth as possible for Taxi businesses to transition under the new reforms and that it should be easy to exit the industry if Taxi Licence Owners and Service Providers do not wish to continue to provide Taxi services. However, the proposed NSW Government deregulation and reform proposals are short-sighted and only hurt the Taxi Licence Owners, small business owners, communities and customers in NSW and it is risking service delivery to vital sectors of the community. We support reforms, if they are the right reforms. The reforms need to ensure fair and proper compensation for Taxi licence owners and a regulated system that supports a Taxi industry that encourages future business investment and provides a viable, reliable and affordable travel option for passengers across all of NSW.
The NSW Taxi Council is coordinating with Taxi Licence Owners across NSW to make an appointment with their Local Member of Parliament and request their Local MP adds their name, electorate, signature and date to the NSW Taxi Industry Pledge, showing their support towards fair and proper compensation for loss in value of Taxi Licences in NSW and the need for a viable Taxi industry across all of NSW to continue.
Gareth Ward, MP for Kiama has been very supportive of the pledge and the first MP to sign the NSW Taxi Industry Pledge.
