By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
BANNOCKBURN’S taxi operator has lodged a complaint with his industry regulator after Golden Plains Shire replaced his services with a volunteer-driven community buses.
Bannockburn and District Taxis director Stan Smith said he recently bought a $79,000 wheelchair-accessible vehicle expressly for the shire’s clients only to have his contract terminated after 10 years’ service.
Mr Smith said his 10-seater maxi cab was now idle most days, affecting his business “significantly with much-reduced weekly income”.
He said the loss of work had also forced him to reduce his driver’s hours.
“Golden Plains Shire is using two vehicles to continue this work, using volunteer non-accredited drivers without the relevant experience in transporting wheelchair clients or using the equipment for them safely,” Mr Smith said.
He was concerned arrangement might breach regulations and compromise passenger safety.
Mr Smith said he believed the use of non-accredited drivers was against Taxi Services Commission regulations.
He said the new arrangement worked out dearer for passengers because older clients could no longer use their taxi cards, which had given them half-price cab fares.
Mr Smith cited a Golden Plains Shire fee schedule charging community transport clients up to $72 for a trip longer than one and a half hours.
“It’s costing the individual passenger more and the shire is making money, charging that for each person in a 12-seater.
“We would do a 220-kilometre round trip costing an average of $400, which is around $40 per person, yet they cancelled my contract because they said they were trying to cut costs.”
The Independent was unable to obtain comment from Victorian Taxi Services Commission and Golden Plains Shire before going to press.
