“We’re not rich fat-cat investors, we’re hard-working aussie battlers – majority migrant based, who have come here with an empty suitcase, and have worked our arses off in order to achieve something.”
Georgia Diamantopoulos, Victorian Taxi Families

With charges unlikely to be laid against Geoff Shaw for allegedly striking protestors outside the Victorian Parliament last week, the fracas should not deflect attention from the greater injustices of new taxi industry legislation, according to those determined to change the Napthine government’s mind on the matter.
Cabbie John Zammit was left bleeding after the clash with the controversial Member for Frankston whose vote is securing the Liberal’s majority.
Tensions flared after protesters at a rally against the government’s taxi industry reforms pursued Mr Shaw up the steps of Parliament House on Tuesday, who then lashed out at demonstrators.
The scene was captured on video by the son of a taxi driver attending the rally. Louie Karkatzoulis (25) told Neos Kosmos that he was shocked by what he recorded.
“Here’s a man who has a history of being a security guard, against a 79-year-old who is trying to help his family out. Who’s going to cause more damage?” said Mr Karkatzoulis, who added that his footage contradicted Mr Shaw’s version of events, which included a reference to protestors spitting at him.
“I have the high-definition video. There was no spitting at all.”
Moments after making the recording on his phone, Mr Karkatzoulis was besieged by TV and press reporters wanting exclusive use of the footage. Despite the offers he declined their cash.
“They were like jackals. In the end I said ‘no, I’m doing this for my family and the taxi owners’. I’m not a sell out.”
Louie’s father Peter – who has been a Melbourne cabbie since 1986 – said that Mr Shaw had been deliberately provocative.
“It was despicable. He had that smirk on his face.”
Mr Karkatzoulis senior told Neos Kosmos that before the Allan Fels Taxi Inquiry his taxi licence was worth $500,000 but its value now was far less. With the Victorian Government’s push to release more licences, the market price on existing licences are in freefall.
“It’s people’s livelihoods at stake,” said Mr Karkatzoulis.
“People came here from all over the world and bought themselves a job and they played it according to the government’s rules.
“This is their pension, they don’t have anything else, and the government has decided to take half of it away.”
Like hundreds of owner-drivers, Mr Karkatzoulis says that despite the new legislation, drivers and their families will continue the campaign to show not just the injustices of new licence releases – but the effect other reforms will have on the industry and customers.
“Reform is needed, we agreed with that, but you can’t take the industry back 20 years,” says Karkatzoulis, who lists the introduction of ‘PBOs’ – ‘Pre-Booked Only’ cabs – costing a set price of $40,000 per licence as one of the major issues.
“We’re after no PBOs, and no unlimited licences. Licence releases must be about meeting robust demand and consumer interest tests.”
Mr Karkatzoulis said that to improve standards in Victoria’s taxi industry – a key target of the Fels recommendations – greater policing of unlicensed cabbies was also needed to stamp out rogue traders.
Asked what critics of the laws could do to change the government’s mind, Mr Karkatzoulis said: “We’ll just have to be in their face and keep on talking to them.”
One group established in July to challenge the government’s thinking is Victorian Taxi Families (VTF) – a coalition of small operators like Mr Karkatzoulis.
Georgia Diamantopoulos – whose 65-year-old husband George has worked in the industry for 25 years – is one of the VTF’s founders, and a passionate exponent of the plight of those affected by the new legislation.
“Reforms are needed, but the reforms within the government’s legislation are going to decimate the industry – and the public needs to know this,” she says, adding that the introduction of PBOs is ” the biggest disaster of all”.
“A prerequisite for entering the hire car industry in the past was that you had to have a luxury vehicle.
“With this amendment you can put any vehicle on the road and pay $40k for a licence – it can be any bomb.
“There’s also no accreditation needed for the driver which means that any Tom, Dick or Harry – or rapist or whatever – can come and pick you up”.
With PBOs becoming part of the network despatching system for companies like 13 Cabs and Silvertop, Mrs Diamantopoulos said that customers would be unaware if they had booked a PBO – with no compulsory safety camera and tracking system – or a conventional taxi that had such safety devices.
　
“This is putting the public at risk, ” she said.
“We’re not rich fat-cat investors, we’re hard-working aussie battlers – majority migrant based, who have come here with an empty suitcase, and have worked our arses off in order to achieve something.”
Mrs Diamantopoulos said the Victorian Liberal government had given a slap in the face to owner-operators and their families.
“It’s not on. We’ll fight with every ounce of our being to rectify what is a shocking situation.”