Fels’ taxi ideas ’terrible for us’

GEELONG Taxi Network will spend January again reviewing Professor Alan Fels’ Taxi Industry Inquiry recommendations, according to its boss.
Peter Valentine said the report was “terrible”, with potentially “disastrous” consequences for Geelong.
Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder this month announced public submissions on the report would remain open until January 30.
“Given the breadth of issues and recommendations it is important that we get it right,” Mr Mulder said.
“Victorians deserve to have an industry that is clean, efficient, affordable, safe and reliable.”
Mr Valentine said State Government’s delay in responding to the report showed it required more input from industry.
“They’ve said ‘We need more time to consider this’, which normally means they’re not happy with what they’ve got. We’ll sit down and go right through it again and expand on what we’ve already discussed.”.
Mr Valentine said the network had already sent “practical” submissions to the inquiry but would conduct a review to make further suggestions.
“The report itself had very few practical elements in it. It was all basically theoretical.”
Mr Valentine said a recommendation to increase taxi driver pay rate ratios from 50 to 55 per cent would harm operators.
But a fare increase would solve the ratios debate, he said.
“There’s been no increase in taxi fares for four years. Sydney’s rates are 30 per cent more than ours.
“If you change the ratio that’s not going to help the owner operator to pay for increases in registration and actual license fees which have been subject to CPI.”
Mr Valentine criticised the report’s recommendations to permit unmarked cars with taxi licenses to become pre-booked-only cabs (PBOs).
Deregulating the system to allow PBOs to operate independent of a central booking system would create confusion and compromise passenger and driver safety, he said.
“This idea of gypsy cabs is just ridiculous.”
Victorian Taxi Association’s David Samuel said Geelong had probably the state’s best taxi service for disabled people.
“Why try and undo something just for theory’s sake when the system’s working? Geelong has a good service.”