Victoria’s Taxi Services Commission (TSC) has announced the appointment of its new Chief Executive Officer, Aaron de Rozario.
Mr de Rozario is currently General Manager of Passenger Services in WA’s Department of Transport where he co-ordinates regulation in the On-Demand Transport sector (taxis, limousines and charter vehicles) as well as providing the WA government with strategic policy advice on industry reform and regulatory issues.
The announcement follows an extensive national recruitment campaign, and the TSC said that his appointment “recognises his significant leadership experience in senior public sector roles, and in particular in transport regulation, enforcement and reform”.
Mr de Rozario takes over from the Acting CEO James Holyman, who has been in the position since the former CEO Marnie Williams concluded at the end of March.
In a statement to media, Mr de Rozario, who is also a member of the National Taxi Regulators Group, said he was looking forward to meeting Victorian stakeholders and working with the industry to ensure a sustainable future.
Taxilink director Harry Katsiabanis, one of the state’s most vocal commentators on taxi affairs, welcomed the news of the appointment, saying that the “industry knowledge and experience that Mr de Rozario brings as a result of his position in Western Australia will deliver value to the department.”
Asked what priorities the new CEO should adopt in relation to the intense debate over Uber, Mr Katsiabanis said:
“We’d all like to see the TSC enforce the law to its fullest extent, and let us get on with our livelihoods.
Mr Katsiabanis added that he wished Mr de Rozario well in his new post. “It’s challenging position in a challenging time, in a changing industry.”