The South Australian government has announced a raft of proposed reforms following a review of the state’s Passenger Transport Act, with minister Tom Koutsantonis pledging their adoption.
“There are profound challenges facing the taxi industry in South Australia – and they are adversely impacting both industry stakeholders and customers,” Koutsantonis said in a statement to media.
“The Government intends to adopt all recommendations of this landmark review, but we will consult with stakeholders before legislating.”
The audit undertaken by the Department for Infrastructure and Transport recommends changes covering the taxi, access cab, chauffeur and rideshare industries, following consultation with key stakeholders, industry representatives and customers.
Safety and security, including vehicle tracking and the clear identification of drivers, were among the key issues identified by customers.
The review recommends the adoption of sanctions, including strong penalties for inappropriate use of surcharging and illegal payment methods, as well as a series of safety enforcement measures, including mandatory cameras installed in all point-to-point vehicles.
“We’ve seen a number of incidents, from assault and theft to unsafe driving, with criminal charges laid against point-to-point drivers – and we’ve also seen drivers subjected to attacks by passengers,” Koutsantonis said.
As opposed to taxis, there is currently no camera regulatory requirement for rideshare drivers, nor regulated fares.
A new ministerial power recommended by the review would allow approval of a surcharge on regulated fares to cover rising fuel costs and work during after-hours or public holidays.
A taxi industry reform package was among changes sought, and the state government called on to conduct a license buy-back and to overhaul current caps in Adelaide’s taxi licensing system.
Since the introduction of rideshare which operates in an uncapped market, the taxi sector is estimated to have seen work reduced by over 50 per cent, while the value of taxi previously purchased as investment “has plummeted from a high of around $375,000 to as low as $10,000.”
“It is proposed eligible general licence owners receive a payment of $200,000 for the first licence and $10,000 for each subsequent licence up to a total of six.
“Access Taxi licence holders would receive $100,000 for the first licence and $10,000 for each subsequent licence,” a media release excerpt on the review reads.
A remodelling of Access Taxi services was also recommended to improve service delivery. Roughly 580 Access Taxi clients per month are estimated to be impacted by delays.
“Everyone deserves a fair and equal opportunity when catching transport and that is why we are already getting on with the job to expand the Access taxi lifting fee to support communities statewide.
“But there is a clear need for greater reform, and we are asking the market to put forward alternative options,” Koutsantonis said.
Passenger transport vehicles are also planned to start operating statewide to boost service access in regional and city-fringe areas.
