DRIVE A2B May 2017

DRIVE 

Voice of the Victorian Point-to-Point Transport Industry 

MAY 2017 

NO 01 

incorporating 

VOICE 

OF THE TAXI INDUSTRY 

TAXI 

READ ABOUT 

WHAT’S BEEN 

HAPPENING 

IN YOUR 

INDUSTRY 

MAGAZINE 

on the ranks since 1966 

FIRST 

EDITION 

Brand new magazine 

for the Point-to-Point 

transport industry 

TAXIS HIRE CARS RIDE SOURCING OWNERS DRIVERS SERVICES

LAUNCHING SOON 

Cars & Taxis 

driver benefits 

• Easy-to-use app 

• Low commissions 

• Ability to earn more income due to both 

passenger and delivery options 

• Participate in the optional profit-share program 

LUX BLACK DISABILITY VAN TAXI 

ECO 

DELIVERY 

Full details 

next month in 

DRiVE 


Enquiries: drivers@ticktoc.net 

Delivery Services 

BICYCLE 

MOTORBIKE 

CAR 

VAN / 

TRAY 

2T TRUCK 

3T TRUCK

... and WELCOME to 

DRiVE 


magazine! 

HELLODRIVE A2B magazine provides news for taxis, hire cars, 

suppliers, service providers and ride sourcing providers. 

Taxi Talk - Voice of the Victorian Taxi Industry was 

published for 51 years (1966 - 2017) and the new brand 

of DRIVE A2B - is incorporating everything from Taxi Talk 

magazine under a new brand - DRIVE A2B - plus more. 

Taxis as we knew them 12 months ago are slowly but 

surely changing. The whole industry is changing and 

we need to embrace this change and move with it, but 

in doing so not let go of what is important to us all. 

FAIRNESS. 

We pride ourselves on providing / reporting on news of 

the Point-to-Point Transport industry, both in Australia 

and overseas, when it happens as it happens. Everyone 

is entitled to have their say and DRIVE A2B magazine 

gives everyone the opportunity to do just that! 

DRIVE A2B magazine is filling the niche of a true Pointto-Point 

transport industry magazine that will deliver 

news on all the different facets of this industry. 

DRIVE A2B magazine is published by Trade Promotions 

Pty Ltd and printed in Melbourne. 

DRiVE 


incorporating 

TAXI 

VOICE 


MAGAZINE 


www.drivea2b.com.au

LOWER annual contributions 

GENUINE replacement parts 

FAST repair turn around 

FAST claims recovery 

FREE legal advice 

Comprehensive 

Taxi cover 

Third Party & 

Public Liability 

NO joining fee 

Metropolitan 

Taxi 

Club 

PHONE 9388 0722 

360 Brunswick Road, Brunswick 

EMAIL 

daniel@metropolitantaxiclub.com.au 

vi@metropolitantaxiclub.com.au 

BRUNSWICK ROAD COLLISION 

CENTRE (Melbourne) 

• Taxi resprays from $1200 (conditions apply) 

• Quality jobs 

• Quick repair time 

Contact Ibrahim 

0422 431 823 or 9380 9935 

BRUNSWICK ROAD COLLISION 

MECHANIC CENTRE 

• Low prices 

• Fast services 

Contact Daniel or Ibrahim 

9388 1425 or 9388 0722 

MORELAND TAXIS P/L 

• Taxi shifts available (day and night) 

• New and clean taxis 

• 24/7 roadside assistance 

Phone 

9388 1425 or 9388 0722

CONTENTS 

REGULARS 

FEATURES 

8 Big boys are taking over 

Welcome to the brave new world of the taxi 

industry. 

10 Victorian Hire Car Assoc. says 

The proposed deregulation has caused 

irreparable harm to a number of small 

businesses in the industry. 

16 Next step forward 

Behind the scenes the VTHF have put 3 legal 

actions in place. 

22 Your say 

Letters and emails received by DRIVE A2B 

regarding the point-to-point transport industry. 

30 Industry statistics 

Figures for last month’s Victorian taxi and hire 

car industry statistics. 

32 Interstate news 

Report on what’s happening around Australia 

in our industry. 

40 Overseas news 

Updates on the point-to-point industry all 

around the world. 

20 Transport conundrum 

It’s time for cities to be proactive in 

planning for our future transport needs. 

24 Security nightmares 

Solving autonomous vehicles’ security 

flaws will require some fundamental 

changes to their security architecture. 

Editor 

Mrs Toni Peters 

Publisher 

Trade Promotions Pty Ltd 

PO Box 2345, Mount Waverley Vic. 3149 

Advertising enquiries 

Mrs Toni Peters 

P 0400 137 866 

E tonipeters@DRIVEA2B.com.au · 

W www.DRIVEA2B.com.au 

Media Pack containing advertisement 

sizes and costs can be downloaded from 

our website. 

Deadline 

All articles, editorial and artwork must be 

submitted by the 15th of the month prior to 

publication date. 

Home delivery subscription 

$40 for your copy of DRIVE A2B to be 

mailed to you for one year. 

FRONT COVER 

Melbourne Skyline at Night 

Payment options 

Direct Deposit to Trade Promotions Pty Ltd 

BSB 033065 ACC 312786 REF your name 

Mail Cheque to Trade Promotions Pty Ltd 

PO Box 2345, Mt Waverley VIC 3149 

DRIVE A2B magazine · May 2017 5

Editorial 

Welcome 

to the inaugural edition of 

DRiVE 


Like many other 

industries, the 

Victorian Taxi and 

Hire Car Industry 

has been disrupted by the 

introduction and concept of 

the Sharing Economy. 

The Directors of Trade 

Promotions Pty Ltd 

(publishers of Taxi Talk 

magazine) believe that to 

remain competitive and 

relevant to this industry – 

the commercial passenger 

vehicle industry – it is 

time for Taxi Talk – Voice 

of the Taxi Industry to be 

rebranded. 

It is with some sadness 

that we farewell the end of 

an era, an era of 51 years to 

be exact, that Taxi Talk – 

Voice of the Taxi Industry 

had been reporting on 

the ins and outs of the 

Victorian taxi industry. The 

April 2017 edition was the 

final Taxi Talk to be printed. 

We didn’t sell Taxi Talk 

magazine, we have simply 

rebranded it DRIVE A2B 

- Voice of the Victorian 

Point-to-Point Transport 

Industry, to keep it current 

and competitive with this 

digital age we are living in. 

DRIVE A2B magazine will 

be providing more news for 

taxis, hire cars, suppliers, 

service providers and, 

dare I say it, ride sourcing 

providers and drivers. It 

will be published by Trade 

Promotions Pty Ltd and 

printed in Melbourne. 

We welcome everyone’s 

thoughts, comments 

and ideas for DRIVE A2B 

magazine and look forward 

to receiving and reading 

your emails each month. 

On another note, there has 

been resignations in many 

facets of the Australian 

taxi industry over the past 

month. GoCatch has lost 

quite a few - CEO David 

Holmes, Alex Turnbull, Tim 

Fung and Chairman Bill 

Beerworth. Sunil Patel is at 

the helm now as Chairman 

and he is trying to turn 

the company towards a 

profitable path. 

Roy Wakelin-King CEO 

NSW Taxi Council has left 

and Christina Klaasse- 

Chellos is filling the 

position for the interim. 

6 DRIVE A2B magazine · May 2017

MAGAZINE 

incorporating 

VOICE 


TAXI 


Just makes you wonder if 

the entire Australian taxi 

industry is going to implode 

some time soon! 

In Victoria last month, there 

was a situation where a taxi 

driver was poisoned from 

carbon monoxide while 

taking a power nap in his 

Capital Taxis car with its 

engine running.... and.... 

the following night another 

driver suffered from exposure 

to carbon monoxide in the 

SAME vehicle. 

Really! I thought all taxis 

had to be monitored and 

pass stringent testing by a 

Licensed Taxi Tester. Surely 

the taxis are checked for 

carbon monoxide leaks? 

How did this one get past? 

How did the operator let this 

vehicle on the road? 

Slater and Gordon lawyer 

Jana Athanasopoulos said 

“Death in a workplace is 

never acceptable and no 

family should have to go 

through the devastation of 

losing a loved one.” 

“We cannot rely on safety 

regulation alone, workplace 

safety must be the priority 

of everyone to ensure people 

are going home to their 

families at the end of each 

day.” 

Drivers, if you think there 

is something wrong with 

the vehicle you are driving, 

speak up and let the 

Operator know. 

Operators, please take 

more care of your drivers’ 

workplace - your vehicle, 

their workplace. 

BMW has announced that 

its autonomous car with self 

driving capabilities of 

• level 3 (still requires a 

driver to intervene in 

certain situations) 

• level 4 (it can handle 

a whole trip - but 

is limited by some 

conditions and 

environments) 

• and level 5 (requires 

zero input from a driver) 

technology will be ready in 

2021. Only 4 years away! 

And that’s going to come 

around very quickly. 

Toni Peters 

EDITOR 

Views expressed in any article in DRIVE A2B magazine are those of the individual contributor and not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept any 

responsibility for any opinions, information, errors or omissions in this publication. To the extent permitted by law, the publisher will not be liable for any damages including 

special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages (including but not limited to economic loss or loss of profit or revenue or loss of opportunity) or indirect loss or damage of 

any kind arising from the contract, tort or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such loss of profits or damage. Advertisements must comply with the relevant provisions 

of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. Responsibility for compliance with the Act rests with the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisement. 

DRIVE A2B TM is wholly owned by Trade Promotions Pty Ltd. © Trade Promotions Pty Ltd 2017. All rights reserved. Copyright of articles and photographs in DRIVE A2B TM 

remains with the individual contributors and may not be reproduced without permission. 

DRIVE A2B magazine · May 2017 

7

TAXI NEWS 

Neither politicians nor people from 

the media want to know about 

the fact that Uber flaunts our 

employment laws and rips off its 

customers through surge pricing. 

BIG BOYS 

TAKING 

OVER 

BY HANS ALTHOFF, Taxi Owner/Operator 

The brave new world of the Taxi 

Industry. 

What will the Taxi Industry look 

like in a couple of years and who 

or what will be left of the once 

proud and efficient Taxi Industry 

when the Government is finished 

with their destruction of the 

Industry? 

It has become very clear that a 

lot of the regulations which for 

decades were deemed so very 

important for the protection 

of the Public have now been 

abandoned by our Government. 

It seems no longer necessary 

to protect the Public from price 

gouging and exploitation. 

In our brave new world the poor 

compete with the rich on price 

when they need transportation. 

The AFL calls it dynamic pricing 

when they sell tickets for 

blockbuster games, Uber calls 

it surge pricing and who knows 

what it will be called when 

Cabcharge enters the fray. 

All this happens under the 

mantle of competition and 

innovation, which is supposed 

to help the consumer, but only 

serves to make the rich people 

richer and guarantees service to 

the rich, who can afford to pay 

more than the less fortunate. 

In our new world there will 

be no more individuals who 

hold valuable Taxi Licences. 

The Government will have 

taken them and paid very little 

compensation. 

The Government will allow big 

business to determine prices. 

They will charge customers 

whatever they can get away with 

and pay the people who provide 

the service, as little as possible, 

whilst burdening the real service 

providers with most of the cost. 

To put it in another way, Taxi 

Operators will become the slaves 

of big business. 

We will no longer have individual 

depots that train new drivers 

or give part time taxi drivers 

and students the ability to earn 

some extra money. The quality of 

service will decline dramatically 

because drivers will find it near 

impossible to make a living. 

One can ask why and how could 

it ever happen? Why and how 

could a thriving and very good 

industry, like the Taxi Industry, 

finish up like this? 

If we go back in time we can 

find several occasions where 

Government and Industry actions 

In our brave new world 

the poor compete with the rich on price when they 

need transportation. 


contributed to the demise of the 

Industry. However the elephant 

in the room that nobody is 

prepared to acknowledge, is the 

fact that Australian Governments 

of all denominations are 

not prepared to uphold our 

Australian laws. 

We make excuses for people who 

break our laws by saying that 

they acted under the influence of 

alcohol or drugs, or that they are 

from another culture. 

What about the majority of 

Australians who are law-abiding 

citizens? Do they not have a right 

to be protected from the actions 

of people who treat our laws 

with disdain? 

Lawlessness reigns supreme in 

Victoria where criminals receive 

more sympathy and attention 

than their victims. Uber and their 

drivers have flaunted our laws 

for many years and instead of 

enforcing our laws, Governments 

change them and reward the 

lawbreakers. 

I am at a loss to find a reasonable 

explanation for the disgraceful 

and shameful actions of our 

Victorian Government with 

respect to the Taxi Industry. It 

is also very hard to understand 

that the Opposition and many 

people in the media, talk about 

upholding our laws while at the 

same time endorse the actions 

of Uber. 

They cannot, or do not want to, 

see that Uber is a multinational 

American bully that ignores the 

laws of countries all over the 

world. 

Uber uses money to get world 

domination in the transport 

industry and makes a select 

group of billionaires richer by 

destroying the livelihood and 

lives of many hardworking 

Australians. 

Neither politicians nor people 

from the media want to know 

about the fact that Uber flaunts 

our employment laws and rips 

off its customers through surge 

pricing. 

Uber should not be able to 

hide behind their claim to be 

a technology platform that 

uses Partner Drivers, when it is 

clearly an employer according to 

Australian law. 

This brings me back to the 

elephant in the room, our 

Government does not enforce 

our Australian laws, and I doubt 

that this will change in the short 

term. 

Can’t you see it? Uber is a 

multinational American bully that ignores the laws of 

countries all over the world. 


9

VICTORIAN HIRE CAR ASSOC. 

It is with great honour 

and excitement that 

we present our first 

contribution to the newly 

launched DRIVE A2B 

publication. 

We acknowledge and salute the 

incredible work Toni and her 

team have done over the past 51 

years with TAXI TALK and hope 

that industry operators, drivers, 

customers and supporters will 

embrace the new format. 

Like many other industries, the 

Victorian Hire Car and Limousine 

industry has been disrupted by 

changes in consumer behaviour, 

advances in technology and 

Government intervention. 

Though the proposed 

deregulation has caused 

irreparable harm to a number of 

small businesses in the industry, 

through the VHCA the 2700+ 

licensed operators have a voice 

that is being increasingly heard. 

Ombudsman Update 

In late February 2017, the 

Victorian Hire Car Association 

(VHCA), through its legal 

representatives Mann Lawyers, 

lodged an official complaint 

with the Victorian Ombudsman 

Ms Deborah Glass, regarding 

the conduct of Minister Jacinta 

Allan and the Taxi Services 

Commission (TSC). 

The complaint has centred 

on the seemingly selective 

enforcement of the current 

legislation which requires both 

driver and vehicle to be licensed 

to carry paying passengers. 

This has been no better 

displayed than at some of 

Melbourne’s major events 

including the Spring Racing 

Carnival and Australian Grand 

Prix. At these events Uber 

proactively promoted dedicated 

pick-up and drop-off ranks – yet 

no representative of the TSC was 

present to take action. 

In contrast, our Members 

have been continually asked 

to present their vehicles for 

routine inspections, pay ongoing 

licence fees and be subjected 

to certain restrictions at 

Melbourne Airport due to their 

“commercial” nature. 

The impact of Uber itself (being 

an on-demand service that 

charges significantly more than 

the industry average out of the 

Airport) is only modest. It’s the 

increasing number of unlicensed 

niche operators that appear to 

have been given the go ahead 

by the Government and/or TSC 

that are eroding the viability of 

many established operators. 


The increasing number of 

unlicensed niche operators that appear to have been given 

the go ahead by the Government and/or TSC, are eroding the 

viability of many established operators. 

Legal Challenges 

Taking instruction from its Members, the VHCA 

has also instructed Mann Lawyers to investigate 

the possibility of taking legal action against the 

Government, TSC and Uber. 

In assessing the merits of our position with other 

legal counsel, Mann Lawyers has advised the VHCA 

that a number of legal options could be explored 

with relatively positive chance of success. 

At the time of writing, the VHCA is in the midst 

of securing sufficient industry support for a class 

action that would be supported by international 

litigation funding companies who have agreed to 

support the case. 

For those who wish to be a part of this, there is still 

an opportunity to register on the VHCA homepage 

www.vhca.com.au 

BECOME A 

MEMBER OF 

THE VHCA 

and join us in fighting for your rights as a 

Victorian Hire Car Licence holder 

send the following via email to 

treasurer@vhca.com.au 

1. Membership details 

• Your Name | Email | Mobile Phone no. 

• # MH Licences | # SV Licences 

2. A remittance notice of your applicable payment 

advising your bank reference and value of payment 

made. (A receipt will be sent to you) 

Please pay direct into 

our bank account 

Account Name: 

VHCA #2 Account 

BSB: 083337 

Account no: 

408246370 

$250 - MH Licence 

$100 - SV Licence 

JOIN 

WITH US 

TODAY 


11


Hardship / Fairness 

Fund 

On April 30, applications to 

the Hardship / Fairness Fund 

closed. Despite continually 

promoting the fund as a source 

of “immediate” relief for those 

suffering financial hardship 

resulting from the proposed 

changes to the legislation, at the 

time of writing, not one applicant 

had received an outcome to their 

claim. 

We are aware of many within 

the industry who have lost 

a significant chunk of their 

business and as a result, 

are suffering financially, 

psychologically and emotionally. 

Despite formal approaches to the 

Government and Administrators 

of the Fund by VHCA Executive, 

no response has been received 

and unfortunately the immediate 

relief sought by many has not 

been forthcoming. 

Where To From 

Here? 

No doubt, these are changing 

and challenging times for Taxi, 

Hire Car and Limousine drivers. 

Like all industries, we must 

embrace these challenges and 

continue to raise the bar with 

regards to our service offering. 

We must continue (or start) to 

support our industry bodies in 

their pursuance of a just and 

equitable outcome for all. And, 

above all, we must not lose faith. 

We have been around for a long 

time. Our clients know us and 

trust us. That can’t be said for 

everyone. 

FREE 

DO YOU OWN AN 

MH (VHA), SV, RHV or 

TAXI LICENCE? 

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST 

TO JOIN THE LEGAL ACTION 

at www.vhca.com.au 

In order to secure funding, 

the VHCA must be able to 

demonstrate it has sufficient 

numbers to support the action. 

The proposed legal action can 

only be initiated with external 

funding. There will be no 

outlay of funds for industry 

members. 

VEHICLE 

CHEAP 

RATES 

finance 

EASY 

CAR LOANS 

BEST 

SERVICE 

FAST 

APPROVALS 

We are accredited with over 30 banks and other lenders 

GAP COVER 

up to $30,000 available 

CHEAP FINANCE RATES FOR 

taxis limos vans buses vha vehicles all cars 

9561 8876 

95 Garden Road, Clayton (near Ikea) www.yarrafinance.com 

yarrafinance 

experts in commercial finance 

proudly serving the taxi industry 


PROUDLY SUPPORTING THE VICTORIAN HIRE CAR INDUSTRY 

ofcial sponsor of 

For all HIRE CAR and TAXI related legal enquiries 

contact Nadav Prawer, Partner, Mann Lawyers 

T: 1300 557 564 

F: 1300 557 554 

E: nadav@mannlawyers.com.au


Class Action 

Over the last 12 

months there 

has been a lot of 

discussion about 

the potential 

of initiating 

legal action against the Taxi 

Services Commission, the Andrews 

Government or Uber itself. 

Taking instructions from our 

membership, the VHCA instructed 

Mann Lawyers to initiate 

investigation into any legal options 

that may be open to us. 

Mann Lawyers have advised us that 

there are a number of legal options 

that can be explored. On the back 

of that advice we have referred 

a number of matters to Senior 

Counsel and other law firms for 

further legal analysis. 

Consensus is, that there is a case, 

and if it went to Court we would be 

more than likely to be successful. 

However, there is always a risk in 

these matters. 

So, to protect the VHCA members 

we have chosen to only proceed if 

(a) we achieve litigation funding 

and 

(b) the members are indemnified 

against cost if we are unsuccessful. 

The what, how, why, when and the 

who, we will keep to ourselves for 

the moment for strategic reasons. 

We are now requesting expressions 

of interest to participate in a Class 

Action with full litigation funding. 

NO COST TO YOU! (Please note 

that we have had litigation funders 

expressing interest subject to 

sufficient numbers participating!) 

There are both national and 

international companies that 

specialise in litigation funding. 

Briefly, the way it works is that the 

funder assumes all financial costs, 

risk and liability for any action 

in return for participating in the 

proceeds of any successful action. 

Please note, we are not seeking 

a binding agreement, just an 

expression of interest subject to 

litigation funding being secured. 

REGISTER 

your 

EXPRESSION 

OF 

INTEREST 

at www.vhca.com.au 

You can sit there and complain 

about how unfair this all is .... but what we 

know is, at this stage, you are going to get 

100% of NOTHING. 

JOIN US and maybe, just maybe, we will get 

a little bit of something! 


Schmidt G5 Taximeter 

Schmidt G5 

SN 123456 

01 

$ 

48.50 

TARIFF Tap to Pause or Hold to Total FARE 

$ 

2.00 

TOLLS CITYLINK Tap to Add EXTRAS 

$ 

5.10 

DAY • HIRED 

Keep control of your business 

• Fully automatic self-calibration 

- World’s first self-calibrating taximeter. 

- Recalibrates itself automatically whenever required e.g. when you change tyres. 

- No need to visit a dealer for calibration, saving you time and money. 

• Eliminates off-meter fares and could pay for itself 

many times over every year 

- World’s first taximeter with optional ultrasonic passenger detection 

- Keeps the fare running whenever a passenger is riding in your taxi 

• Prevent other parties from owning your confidential 

income data and putting your privacy at risk 

• Control your taximeter via secure website log-in 

Day View 

Schmidt Electronic Laboratories Pty Ltd 

Trusted by thousands of taxi operators & drivers for more than 35 years 

Phone (03) 9546 6990 or 1300 132 422 | Email info@schmidt.com.au | Website www.schmidt.com.au 

Address 153 Osborne Avenue, Clayton South, VIC 3169 | ABN 20 005 631 710

VICTORIAN TAXI & HIRE CAR FAMILIES 

We are being used as the 

sacrificial lamb to appease 

a foreign multinational that 

has proven that their model 

is unsustainable. 

NEXT 

STEP 

FORWARD 

Behind the scenes we have put 

three legal actions in place. 

Victorian Taxi and Hire-car 

Families has had a very busy 

month. 

We have seen the Victorian 

parliament lower house pass 

the legislation, with the Minister 

of Transport Jacinta Allan in her 

speech in parliament, advise 

that in effect Uber refuses to pay 

a licensing fee. 

The question the entire 

industry is asking is “why have 

a government that can’t uphold 

the law”. 

That same day the government, 

in its infinite wisdom, attempted 

to pass it through the Upper 

House but failed. In fact the 

only person who attempted to 

speak out about the unfairness 

to the existing industry was shut 

down by Labor. 

During this time the “outcomes” 

of the Parliamentary enquiry 

were also revealed. None of the 

information in the report was 

new to us - basically it didn’t tell 

us anything we didn’t already 

know. 

Interestingly they all went on 

break from Parliament at this 

point....how convenient it must 

be being a politician, destroying 

people’s lives and then needing 

a break to rest after such hard 

work....note the sarcasm. 

It seems the bill is being 

reintroduced this month in the 

Upper House, let’s hope there 

are some politicians left with 

morals and backbone! 

The VTHF has been busily 

lobbying politicians from 

all sides and whilst most 

sympathise, and agree an 

enquiry is required with industry 

participants not public servants, 

it’s shameful that they are 

more concerned about crossing 

the floor or voting with their 

conscience to protect their 

own seats. They wonder why 

Trump won in USA. Here is your 

example - you govern for the 

people NOT your position or 

seat. 

OUR RALLY 

A very successful rally was 

held last month by VTHF, which 

saw women overcome with 

emotion and stress and thereby 

fainting and thus keeping the 

paramedics busy. So many of 

the attendees were so angry 

that they attempted to storm 

Parliament. 

Our government does not 

uphold the law? Why should we support or have 

them at all? 


BUY 

BACK 

BUY 

FAIR 

NEXT RALLY 

Tuesday May 9 at 10am 

on the steps of Parliament House 

Everyone welcome to attend! 

The more attendees - the louder our voice. 

Visit and have a chat with us at: 

1st Floor, 129 Roden Street, West Melbourne 

(above Embassy Cafe) 

Drivers, Operators, Licence 

Holders and Networks of 

Victorian Taxi or Hire Cars 

REGISTER WITH US 

and become part of a 

UNITED VOICE 

The Victorian Taxi & 

Hire Car Families 

FOR MORE 

INFORMATION EMAIL 

vthfamilies@gmail.com 


17

VICTORIAN TAXI & HIRE CAR FAMILIES 

To the credit of our police force, 

they were understanding and 

supportive at all times. 

We have been busily working 

behind the scenes and now see 

three legal actions in place. 

Anyone interested in joining 

please contact the VTHF via 

email on vthfamilies@gmail. 

com. Two of these actions are 

free to register whilst one 

requires a $200 registration fee. 

It’s imperative that every licence 

owner register with all legal 

actions. 

VTHF together with the VHCA 

held an Open Day at our 

offices in Roden Street, West 

Melbourne, on April 18. This was 

an extremely successful day 

with many coming to chat and 

sign up for all legal cases, action 

and claims. The many questions 

asked by the attendees were 

answered and understood. 

COMPENSATION 

It’s also interesting to note that 

nowhere in the proposed Bill 

does it discuss a buyback or 

compensation. Apparently this 

is being left to regulations. 

Given that we all purchased 

our taxi and/or hire car licences 

in a regulated industry, it’s fair 

and reasonable to expect any 

monies to acquire our licences 

should be steeped in legislation. 

Do we trust any government to 

keep its word? That would be a 

resounding NO! 

It’s extremely clear the Labor 

party has lost its way. We, the 

small businesses, are their grass 

roots constituents, yet we are 

being used as the sacrificial 

lamb to appease a foreign 

multinational that has proven 

they are not profitable and their 

model is unsustainable. 

GOOD NEWS 

It seems that taxis are again 

becoming the flavour of the day 

in transport and we are seeing 

many ex-Uber drivers turning to 

taxis. 

Drivers have come to realise 

that they can make a far better 

income driving a taxi, without 

destroying their personal cars 

and that the taxi is covered by 

insurance. Also when driving a 

taxi they are not liable for ALL 

the GST on the fare, just their 

55%. 

It’s what we have been saying 

all along. 

It’s far more profitable for a 

driver to drive a taxi than an 

Uber. 

There is currently a shortage of 

licences for lease which in turn 

is driving prices up. 

In closing Daniel Andrews 

was happy to meet with 

us all regularly prior to the 

last election, however he 

now refuses to meet, so our 

questions are:- 

1. How do we explain to 

someone who has worked 

a lifetime, paid their taxes, 

and abided by the law, why 

they now lose a lifetime’s 

work? 

2. How do we explain to our 

children why they will be 

left with a legacy debt? 

3. Why are people losing 

their lives and their homes 

simply for being law 

abiding citizens? 

Shame on the Victorian 

government. 

Victorian taxi licence owners and 

operators are being left behind, 

kicked to the curb! 

Once again taxis are becoming 

the flavour of the day in transport as many Uber drivers are 

turning to taxis. 


Maxi Taxi 

Conversions 

WAT INDUSTRY LEADERS 

FOR OVER 55 YEARS 

INCLUSIONS ARE... 

• Free initial service 

• Extended warranty 

• Free anti theft air vents 

• Floor plans to suit 

many vehicles 

2 

WHEELCHAIR 

POSITIONS 

Call Aaron and remember 

to mention this advert 

under 

$ 

13,500 

* while stocks last 

60-62 Bennet Street, Dandenong 

Tel: (03) 9793 1066 Fax: (03) 9794 5840 

Email: conversion@norden.com.au 

Website: www.norden.com.au

Transport 

conundrum 

calls for an integrated approach to transport solutions that 

build on a platform of sustainable urban growth – with the 

emphasis on both suburbs and urban centres. 

BY JUST IMAGINE 

As predictors of 

what the future will 

look like, movies 

have proven eerily 

accurate: it’s 1966 

and Batman uses 

a remote control to summon The 

Batmobile. Forward to 2002’s 

Minority Report and autonomous 

self-driving vehicles weave – almost 

magically – on magnetic cushions 

through a futuristic Washington DC. 

We set our sights on a future that 

involves autonomous vehicles long 

ago! 

Fiction has become fact. We’re 

standing on the brink of a driving 

revolution with the race on for 

which car manufacturer will be the 

first to roll out a line of completely 

self-driven vehicles. 

At the same time, as urban areas 

experience a rapid influx of people 

and population growth, the need for 

sustainable mass public transport 

solutions has become ever more 

urgent . 

While car manufacturers drive 

the autonomous vehicles (AV) 

revolution, governments are 

currently ploughing billions into 

mass transit solutions. Which 

begs the question: Should this 

investment be redirected to 

accelerate the manufacture 

of AVs, given that mass transit 

solutions could be made somewhat 

redundant once AVs hit the road? 

Is this a race with only one winner, 

or is there a space for two winners? 

Will the billions that are being 

poured in to mass transit become a 

gross over expenditure when the AV 

becomes common place? 

More importantly, can AVs really 

reinvent transportation systems? 

Driverless vehicles are being touted 

for their potential to resolve traffic 

congestion and improve road 

safety. The current narrative would 

suggest that car ownership will be 

a thing of the past as shared AVs 

take centre stage and older modes 

of public transport are relegated to 

the books. 

The story goes that these vehicles 

will be cheaper, more convenient 

and will dispense with the need 

for car parks because they’ll be 

circulating constantly. Traffic jams 

will be a distant memory too as all 

the AVs platoon on the freeways. 

There is also the economic benefit 

related to increased productivity. 

Need to catch up on emails? With 

your eyes off the road, you can 

confidently turn your attention to 

work. This is hands-free at its best 

iteration. 

It certainly sounds like a simple 

– indefectible, even – solution 

to a convoluted problem. 

But on closer inspection, how 

Utopian is this future? And is it as 

‘realistic’ as the movies? And what 

about those billions of dollars being 

spent right now on mass transit? Is 

it a wasted investment? What’s the 

real story here? 

The existing infrastructure in 

many urban areas simply cannot 

support more vehicles on the 

roads – concurrently, automobile 

sales are forecast to climb rapidly 

along with a growing middle class 

who can afford the luxury. When 

the AV hits the market, who’s to 


say it won’t exacerbate the existing 

traffic burden instead of relieving it, 

putting even more vehicles on the 

road? 

Without wanting to completely 

quash the benefits of AVs, here’s 

why it’s counterintuitive to hail 

the advent of the AV as the end of 

traffic congestion (at least in the 

short to medium term). 

Show me the money 

This is a big one: the cost factor. For 

now the technology would be out 

of reach of most people. Various 

forms of car sharing are predicted 

to counter this – but how willing 

will we be to adapt and give up that 

personal space and autonomy? 

Security poses a risk 

Countries would need to put some 

serious governance measures in 

place to handle AVs. If they ever 

hit the roads, self-driving cars will 

prove an irresistible target for 

hackers. 

There’s no quick-fix solution. 

Focusing on problem-solving, the 

current situation is akin to slapping 

a Band-Aid over a festering wound. 

AVs alone aren’t likely to be the 

elusive panacea to our transport 

woes . Not in the foreseeable 

future at least. These require multifaceted, 

long-term solutions to a 

complex problem. 

It’s time for cities to be 

proactive 

The time for stopgap, Band-Aid 

measures is over. In the long term, 

the cities that forge ahead will be 

those that place urban planning at 

the fore of the city agenda. 

Cities need to invest in effective, 

efficient and safe public transport 

– but this requires political will . For 

change to be effected, partnerships 

need to be forged between 

governments, the private sector 

and the community. Crucially, all 

efforts must be underpinned by 

broad collaboration between the 

three to define the problem and 

then translate meaningful policies 

into long-term transport solutions 

that will transform the lives of the 

populace. 

These integrated transport solutions 

will include optimal blends of 

pedestrian zones, privately-owned 

vehicles, shared transport services, 

mass public transit systems and 

mobility services like Uber and Lyft. 

We can’t science our way out of this 

one by summoning an AV. 

And, of course, the regulatory 

environment must be conducive for 

the whole transport ecosystem to 

operate seamlessly. 

The mobility evolution is here. 

Tom Cruise and his Minority 

Report vision of transport is still 

many decades away. It’s the 

cities that respond to the need, 

adapt and remain at the forefront 

of the evolution that will lead 

their citizens into this brave 

new world and get them moving 

around the city in a multi-modal 

mix of technological solutions 

that combine autonomous and 

manual, public and private, shared 

and individual and mass versus 

dedicated. 

Navigating the blend of these 

modalities is where the real 

intellect will come in to play . We 

won’t simply be able to join the 

creed: “All hail the AV!” because, 

once we get to that space, the 

arguments for the next leap to 

“beam me up, Scotty” will be on the 

table for our innovators. 

Embassy 

Cafe 

WE’re open 

WE NEVER CLOSE 

547 Spencer Street 

West Melbourne 

VISIT US FOR THE BEST BURGERS IN TOWN 


21

Your Say 

Shaken by App-Based Taxis 

by Tempo.co 

The digital technology revolution 

has led to a flourish of practical 

and efficient application based 

taxi services. Government 

regulations should not smother 

this development. However, 

there must be a level playing 

field so that the conventional taxi 

business also thrives, which will 

ultimately benefit consumers. 

The Indonesian government 

has just issued a regulation on 

the operations of application 

based taxi services. An important 

point in this regulation is the 

imposition of a minimum tariff. 

Application based taxis, according 

to Transport Minister Budi Karya 

Sumadi, can be cheap because 

they use a subsidy system. This 

could be seen as predatory 

pricing, in which a wealthy 

business owner can prey on 

competitors by dropping prices. 

There is a problem with this 

regulation: it does nothing 

to push conventional taxis to 

make their businesses more 

efficient. However, they have 

long enjoyed large profit margins 

from substandard services. The 

minimum tariff will serve as a 

disincentive for the owners of 

conventional taxis to improve 

their services for the benefit of 

consumers. 

Application based taxis use a 

different business model. They 

seek added value, like other 

dotcom businesses. But the 

pricing formula for application 

based taxis can be monitored 

accurately. Technology makes 

it possible for the introduction 

of variables such as tariff 

per kilometre, time, level of 

congestion and the number 

of drivers. This means the 

government can monitor the 

fairness of the application 

based taxi companies. And for 

conventional taxis, the prices 

set by the government is largely 

influenced by the political 

lobbying of business owners. 

The second problem lies with 

quotas. Local governments are 

given the authority to set limits 

on the number of application 

based taxis. This rule will create 

opportunities for deals to 

buy and sell quotas. There is 

discrimination here because at 

the same time, there are no limits 

on the number of conventional 

taxis allowed to operate. 

Governments in many countries 

are still unsure on how to 

regulate app-based taxi services. 

There have been different 

responses to the emergence 

of Uber, which began in San 

Francisco in 2011. Japan, Canada, 

Brazil and India banned it. 

Germany and France disallowed 

discount tariffs because it would 

disadvantage conventional taxis. 

Denmark suspended operations 

of Uber vehicles until they were 

fitted with passenger sensors and 

meters. 

The digital application based 

business has, for better or 

worse, shaken not only the 

transportation business, but also 

the retail and media sectors. 

The key in responding to this 

shockwave is the principle of 

a level playing field in doing 

business. There must be no 

discrimination. 

It also needs to be made clear 

that taxis are not public mass 

transportation. They are an 

exclusive means of transport for 

passengers prepared to pay more 

for comfort. Some still prefer 

conventional taxis for a number 

of reasons. 

To avoid friction with drivers 

of conventional taxis, the 

government should be fair, with 

the consumer remaining the top 

priority. The government should 

focus on quality. Safety and 

comfort standards, for example, 

should be applied. Protection for 

drivers, passengers and vehicle 

owners-for conventional and appbased 

taxis-need to be improved 

and drawn up transparently. 

At the same time, the government 

must work hard to put things right 

with public mass transportation. 

Both application based and 

conventional taxis, as well as 

motorbike taxis, have flourished 

because the government has 

been unable to provide a cheap, 

safe and competitively priced 

public transportation system. The 

technology revolution cannot be 

stopped simply to cover up this 

failing. 


HAVE 

YOUR 

SAY 

Send your thoughts to us! 

Send your email (info@DRIVEA2B.com.au) or 

sms (0400 137 866) to us and we shall print 

it here - where you can HAVE YOUR SAY! 

At Melbourne Airport 

by “Bags” 

Focus on the congestion 

by John Glazebrook 

The Victorian taxi industry now needs to focus 

on increasing demand for taxi services. The 

”share economy” is not the only problem taxis 

have to face. 

I believe the elephant in the room is traffic 

congestion, not just Uber. The future for taxis is 

being seriously impacted by traffic congestion. 

The biggest growth in passenger services is in 

public transport now. Road capacity for taxis has 

been diminished; with increasing super-sized 

tram stops and Fairways for trams. The Metro 

Underground Rail Project across town will bring 

even more congestion to overcrowded roads 

around the CBD. 

Taxis need to be seen as part of the Melbourne 

Public Transport system, too often taxis are 

an after thought, a service you use only when 

nothing else is available. 

Taxis have lost a lot of business with the 

introduction of 24 hour Public Transport services 

on weekends by the Andrews government. 

What can be done? To be viable in the future, 

taxis will need better access to the city and all 

our roads along with all other Public transport 

services. Why use a taxi if you will be caught in 

congestion? 

Further, public transport contractors receive 

millions of dollars in bonuses from the Victorian 

government Even when passengers are left 

stranded. Some of this performance money 

needs to be turned into Cabcharge e-tickets 

for stranded passengers left behind at stations, 

bus and tram stops, when bus, tram and train 

services fail. 

There were 168 cases entrusted to the courts on one 

day recently concerning Melbourne Airport penalty 

notices. The magistrate made one point which everyone 

should be aware of - he believes in 99.9% of occasions 

the informant (ie Melbourne Airport) will be correct. So 

that doesn’t give drivers much chance to win when the 

magistrate has already made up his mind! 

But consider this: 

1. A driver goes to pay for his parking and parks in 

the two minute zone near the boom gate. The 

machine is not working so he goes back to the office 

underneath the hotel and has to wait for three 

people in front of him. When he gets back to his car 

he finds a ticket on his window as he was away more 

than two minutes. He has proof he paid his parking, 

but is found guilty for exceeding the time limit; 

2. A driver takes ill with his passengers on board and 

stops, with his customers’ permission, runs inside to 

the bathroom. When he comes back he finds a ticket 

on his car, even though the passengers explained to 

booking officer what was happening - guilty; 

3. A driver of a VHA vehicle was picking up in the 

one minute zone. Before the driver gets out of the 

car, the booking officer says he will book her if she 

picks up because she is not allowed to pick up. An 

argument ensues. The female passenger produces 

her warrant card (she is a police officer) and tells the 

booking officer that the driver is complying with the 

road signs. 

As the vehicle drives off with the passenger, the 

booking officer runs across road and puts a ticket 

through the window. The magistrate thinks this 

is ’’personal service of the highest order’’. The 

driver doesn’t think it’s funny. The driver asks for 

CCTV footage and is refused. They don’t have it. 

Guilty - because the airport refuses to supply cctv 

recording. 


23

SECURITY 

NIGHTMARES 

BY WHITNEY CURTIS 

Solving autonomous vehicles’ security flaws will require 

some fundamental changes to their security architecture. 

Two years ago, Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek pulled off a demonstration that shook the 

auto industry, remotely hacking a Jeep Cherokee via its internet connection to paralyse 

it on a highway. Since then, the two security researchers have been quietly working for 

Uber, helping the startup secure its experimental self-driving cars against exactly the 

sort of attack they proved was possible on a traditional one. Now, Miller has moved on, 

and he’s ready to broadcast a message to the automotive industry: Securing autonomous cars from 

hackers is a very difficult problem. It’s time to get serious about solving it. 


“Autonomous vehicles are at the 

apex of all the terrible things that 

can go wrong” 

Last month, Miller left Uber for a 

position at Chinese competitor 

Didi, a startup that’s just now 

beginning its own autonomous 

ridesharing project. In his first 

post-Uber interview, Miller 

talked to WIRED about what 

he learned in those 19 months 

at the company—namely that 

driverless taxis pose a security 

challenge that goes well beyond 

even those faced by the rest of 

the connected car industry. 

Charlie Miller warns that 

“before self-driving taxis can 

become a reality, the vehicles’ 

architects will need to consider 

everything from the vast array 

of automation in driverless cars 

that can be remotely hijacked, to 

the possibility that passengers 

themselves could use their 

physical access to sabotage an 

unmanned vehicle.” 

“Autonomous vehicles are at the 

apex of all the terrible things that 

can go wrong,” says Miller, who 

spent years on the NSA’s Tailored 

Access Operations team of elite 

hackers before stints at Twitter 

and Uber. “Cars are already 

insecure, and you’re adding a 

bunch of sensors and computers 

that are controlling them…If a 

bad guy gets control of that, it’s 

going to be even worse.” 

In a driverless car, the computer 

controls everything. “In an 

autonomous vehicle, the 

computer can apply the brakes 

and turn the steering wheel any 

amount, at any speed,” Miller 

says. “The computers are even 

more in charge.” 

A driverless car that’s used as a 

taxi, Miller points out, poses even 

more potential problems. In that 

situation, every passenger has to 

be considered a potential threat. 

Security researchers have shown 

that merely plugging an internetconnected 

gadget into a car’s 

OBD2 port—a ubiquitous outlet 

under its dashboard—can offer 

a remote attacker an entry point 

into the vehicle’s most sensitive 

systems. 

At this stage only Tesla has 

indicated that it may implement 

a certain cryptographic key to 

safeguard their vehicles security 

from hackers. 

Complicating those fixes? 

Companies like Uber and Didi 

don’t even make the cars they 

use, but instead have to bolt 

on any added security after the 

fact. “They’re getting a car that 

already has some attack surface, 

some vulnerabilities, and a lot 

of software they don’t have any 

control over, and then trying 

to make that into something 

secure,” says Miller. “That’s really 

hard.” 

That means solving autonomous 

vehicles’ security nightmares 

will require far more open 

conversation and co-operation 

among companies. That’s part 

of why Miller left Uber, he 

says: He wants the freedom to 

speak more openly within the 

industry. “I want to talk about 

how we’re securing cars and the 

scary things we see, instead of 

designing these things in private 

and hoping that we all know 

what we’re doing,” he says. 

Car hacking, fortunately, remains 

largely a concern for the future: 

No car has yet been digitally 

hijacked in a documented, 

malicious case. But that means 

now’s the time to work on the 

problem, Miller says, before cars 

become more automated and 

make the problem far more real. 

“We have some time to build 

up these security measures and 

get them right before something 

happens,” says Miller. “And that’s 

why I’m doing this.” 


Roads Update 

NEXT STEP 

TOWARDS 

FINISHING 

THE M80 

RING ROAD 

The next stage of the M80 Ring 

Road upgrade involves widening 

the M80 Ring Road from three 

lanes to four lanes in each 

direction, including widening 

of the entry and exit ramps 

along this section. It is for the 

7.9 kilometres between Princes 

Freeway and Western Highway. 

The upgrade will improve safety 

and reduce congestion for the 

160,000 drivers who use the M80 

Ring Road every day, delivering 

a more reliable commute for 

drivers, freight operators and the 

local community. 

The Princes Freeway and M80 Ring 

Road interchange will be upgraded 

to provide better connections 

between the Ring Road, Princes 

Freeway, West Gate Freeway and 

the future Western Distributor. 

The interchanges at Boundary 

Road and Fitzgerald Road will 

also be upgraded to provide 

improved access to the M80 Ring 

Road for freight travelling to and 

from Laverton. 

To better manage traffic flow, an 

electronic freeway management 

system will also be installed 

with overhead electronic signs to 

provide real time information for 

drivers. 

Minister for Urban Infrastructure 

Paul Fletcher said, “Along with 

our upgrade of the Monash 

Freeway, the M80 Ring Road is 

a key element of our $1.5 billion 

infrastructure package to get 

Victoria moving.” 


Workcover 

for Drivers 

EMPLOYEES & BAILEES ARE COVERED BY WORKCOVER 

As Uber drivers are not in an 

employment relationship with 

Uber - Uber is not required to hold 

WorkCover insurances covering 

their drivers. 

Last month a spokesman for 

WorkCover said, “Uber drivers 

are driving their own vehicles 

(or at least vehicles they source 

themselves) so cannot be working 

under contracts of bailment in the 

way that taxi or hire car drivers 

may be.” 

“The legislation that establishes 

WorkCover insurance, the 

Workplace Injury Rehabilitation 

and Compensation Act 2013, 

specifically identifies that those 

working under contracts of 

bailment should be treated as 

workers for WorkCover insurance 

purposes, because they are 

technically not working under 

employment relationships and 

would otherwise not be seen 

as workers,” continued the 

spokesman. 

In other words, if a person drives 

a motor vehicle under a contract 

of bailment with an operator and 

the driver carries passengers 

for reward, then the operator is 

the employer of the driver for 

WorkCover insurance purposes. 

If one day, further down the track, 

Uber decides to have their own 

fleet of vehicles and get people to 

drive those vehicles, Uber would 

then be required to hold WorkCover 

insurance. But today, an Uber 

driver has more in common with 

an owner-operator of a taxi licence 

who drives their own taxi, than they 

do with a taxi driver. 

WorkSafe and the TAC work closely 

to ensure that anyone injured by 

a motor vehicle in the course of 

their employment, is recognised as 

a worker and compensated under 

the WorkCover insurance scheme. 

The TAC component of the 

Victorian vehicle registration fee 

acts as no fault insurance if anyone 

in a vehicle is injured in a no-fault 

accident, and as a compulsory third 

party insurance in the event that 

the owner or driver of the motor 

vehicle is at fault in causing an 

injury to anyone else. 

It does not provide coverage or 

compensation for anyone injured 

by a motor vehicle while they are 

recognised as a worker. 

Hand Car Wash & Detailing Cafe 

Call Us On 

03-9819 3525 

OR 

0404263883 

Franchising Australia Wide 


27

Night Network 

Runs direct to/from 

Flinders Street Station 

on all lines, every 

hour 

Runs every 30 mins 

on routes 19, 67, 75, 

86, 96 & 109. 

Runs on 21 routes, 

departing the city 

every 30 mins and 

some suburban train 

stations every hour. 

Runs from Southern 

Cross Coach Terminal 

to Ballarat, Bendigo, 

Geelong, Seymour & 

Traralgon, from 2am. 

WEEKEND 

NIGHT 

TRANSPORT 

HERE TO 

STAY 

Minister for Public Transport 

Jacinta Allan announced last 

month that $193.2 million will be 

spent over the next four years 

to make the Night Network 

permanent. 

More than two million trips 

have been taken on overnight 

trains, trams, buses and regional 

coaches since the Labor 

Government introduced Night 

Network at the start of 2016. 

More than 20 per cent of the 

people using Night Network are 

shift workers, getting home after 

a night serving drinks, staffing 

our hospitals or keeping us safe. 

The rest are locals and visitors 

staying out later and enjoying 

Melbourne’s vibrant night life. 

Melbourne prides itself on being 

a 24-hour city. It’s the only city 

in Australia that people from 

around the world can flock to 

and experience culture, sport, 

and nightlife. 

It’s fantastic that Melbourne is 

able to provide our people and 

tourists this extra late-night 

method of transport, but it’s 

another blow to the taxi and hire 

car industry. 

Once these vehicles would have 

taken these passengers home 

- or taken them to their next 

venue for the night - but now 

many are using the trains, trams 

and buses. 


ACCIDENT 

COVER 

FOR TAXIS & 

HIRE CARS 

We have Quick and 

Easy solutions 

for all your 

Accident Cover 

needs 

VICTORIA TAXI CLUB 

128 Errol Street, North Melbourne 

tel 9326 3808 | fax 9326 4808 | email vic.taxi@bigpond.com

Victoria 

These statistical figures 

are as at 31 March 2017 

Industry 

Statistics 

These figures are 

updated and published 

on the Taxi Services 

Commission website 

Taxi Licences 

Zone 

Licence 

type 

# of 

licences 

30/6/16 

# of 

licences 

31/03/17 

Changes 

since 

30/6/16 

Metro Conventional 4,217 4,160 -57 

WAT 443 447 4 

Total 4,660 4,607 -53 

Urban Conventional 420 418 -2 

WAT 85 80 -5 

Total 505 498 -7 

Regional Conventional 264 274 10 

WAT 72 75 3 

Assignments 

Active in March 2017 136 

Fee per month (metro) $1,360 

Number of drivers 

Active drivers 16,414 

(drivers who have recorded at 

least one shift last year) 

Accredited drivers 55,108 

(taxi, hire car & bus) 

Compliance 

outcomes 

Vehicle inspections 2,297 

Rectification notices 157 

Infringement notices 19 

Regulation 20 notice 45 

Official written warning notices 24 

Total 336 349 13 

Country Conventional 127 128 1 

WAT 35 35 0 

Total 162 163 1 

Totals Conventional 5,028 4,972 -48 

Area 

WAT 635 637 2 

Total 5,663 5,609 -46 

Hire Car Licences 

# of 

licences 

30/6/16 

# of 

licences 

31/3/17 

Changes 

since 

30/6/16 

Metropolitan 1,136 1,140 4 

Country 63 64 1 

Special Purpose Vehicles 966 978 12 

Restricted 610 631 21 

Totals 2,775 2,813 38 


Legoland 

For the young & young at heart 

Legoland Discovery Centre in Melbourne at Chadstone 

Shopping Centre was officially opened last month. 

The first of its kind in the Southern 

Hemisphere – the Centre once 

again puts Victoria on the map – 

joining a global network of Lego 

Discovery Centres including nine in 

North America, four in Europe and 

two in Japan. 

The Centre covers 2,800 square 

meters and contains more than 2 

million Lego bricks. 

There is fun for all ages at Legoland 

Discovery Centre as it gives LEGO 

fans a truly bricktastic experience, 

with a LEGO Factory Tour and 

MINILAND Melbourne that has more 

than 1.5 million bricks. 

Some of Melbourne’s best 

landmarks and iconic sights will be 

showcased in LEGO, including the 

MCG, Federation Square, Flinders 

Street Station and the Shrine of 

Remembrance. 

Build and play areas and interactive 

rides with thousands of LEGO bricks 

will encourage kids to let their 

imaginations run wild, while the 4D 

Cinema will bring favourite LEGO 

characters to life. 

Need 

LEGAL 

assistance? 

Serving the Taxi Industry 

for over 30 years 

• Business 

• Commercial 

• Conveyancing 

• Estate Planning 

• Family 

• Litigation 

• Probate 

• Taxation 

• Superannuation 

Minister for Tourism and Major 

Events John Eren said, “With more 

than 100 jobs and over 300,000 

visitors expected in its first year – 

Victoria can add another tourism 

landmark to our collection.” 

AMS 

LAW 

Adams Maguire Sier 

176 Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe 

Email: amsr@amslaw.com.au | Phone: 9497 2622 


31

Around Australia 

Interstate 

News 

South Australia’s Transport Minister, Stephen 

Mullighan, said that Uber has confirmed it 

will apply for accreditation as a Centralised 

Booking Service thereby bringing its services in 

line with state regulations. 

Mr Mullighan said Uber’s commitment to 

accreditation will assure users that drivers and 

vehicles have been properly checked. ’Cars 

have to be assessed as roadworthy, drivers 

have to be assessed as being safe,’ he said. 

’And there’s got to be a good open relationship 

between these booking providers like Uber 

and the government. The cost of compulsory 

third party insurance is Uber’s final hesitation 

in becoming accredited”, Mr Mullighan said. 

The company is required to pay chauffeur 

service premiums that are higher than those 

for standard cars. 

As part of Uber applying for accreditation, the 

government has agreed to review the higher 

premiums for both taxis and chauffeur cars 

later this year. 

Many transport industry reforms came into 

effect in South Australia last month. Among 

the reforms is a $1 levy on all fares to help 

cover the costs of a compensation fund for taxi 

drivers needing assistance. 

STH AUSTRALIA 

The government is still fine-tuning their 

regulations to cater for ride-sharing 

companies. 

Measures to minimise the impact of ride-sharing 

in Western Australia have been announced. 

An industry-funded taxi plate buyback scheme 

will be introduced by the WA government and 

will potentially be funded by an Uber fee levy. 

New WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti has 

promised legislation by the end of the year that 

will determine how much taxi plate owners 

could receive in a buyback scheme and what 

regulations would apply to cab owners and Uber 

drivers. 

’We need a model that actually creates fairness 

in the industry, that creates a sustainable 

industry into the future,’ she said. 

“We’re not ruling anything in or anything out,” 

Ms Saffioti said when asked about charging 

passengers more to travel in taxis or other forms 

of on-demand transport. 

“This has been the worst-handled reform in the 

State’s history,” Ms Saffioti said. “It’s a mess 

and we’re committed to fixing the mess. We 

will work to end the uncertainty that remains in 

WA’s taxi and on-demand transport sector. 

“This is about giving taxi plate owners a fair go,” 

she continued. 

The reforms will also look at safety and security. 

WEST AUSTRALIA 

Reforms are getting back on track with a new 

government. 


Northern Territory remains 

the only holdout on 

legalised ride-sourcing 

in Australia, although the 

government has committed 

to introducing legislation to 

Parliament in 2017 that will 

allow the service. 

Last month Mr Roy Wakelin-King 

resigned from the position of NSW Taxi 

Council Chief Executive Officer. 

We believe that he will be entering a 

different field of employment with the 

NSW government. 

John Bowe, NSW Taxi Industry 

Association President said, ”Roy was 

a great advocate for the NSW taxi 

industry. He certainly moved us 

forward in difficult times”. 

And we believe that on many occasions 

he was able to get the NSW Transport 

Minister to see reason when it came 

to making decisions affecting the taxi 

industry. 

Until a new CEO is appointed, Ms 

Christina Klaasse-Chellos will be acting 

CEO of the NSW Taxi Council in the 

interim period. 

NSW 

The proposed Point to Point 

Transport Regulation 2017 has been 

released. 

Transport for NSW last month released proposed draft 

regulation changes, including safety standards for taxis, 

hire cars and rideshare in NSW, for public consultation. 

“We’ve cut red tape, removed 50 pieces of unnecessary 

regulation, delivered more than $30 million a year in 

savings for taxis and hire cars and are now reaching out 

to the industry and the community to have their say on 

the proposed regulation.” 

The proposed Point to Point Transport (Taxis and Hire 

Vehicles) Regulation 2017 will create greater flexibility 

in a changing transport landscape that is seeing new 

point to point services entering the market, without 

compromising the high safety standards set for the 

industry. 

“At the heart of the reform is a focus on safety, fare 

flexibility and changes to give the industry greater 

autonomy over their businesses and brands,” A Transport 

for NSW Spokesperson said. 

“The regulation is about empowering the industry to 

deliver services to customers how it sees fit, while 

meeting safety standards set by the proposed regulation. 

“To help eligible taxi licence holders and hire car licence 

holders through the transition, a $250 million industry 

adjustment assistance package is available, to be funded 

by a $1 levy per trip placed on all point to point transport 

providers for up to five years.” 

The new regulatory framework creates two types of point 

to point transport services in NSW: taxi service providers 

who offer rank and hail services, and booking service 

providers including hire cars, rideshare and taxi booking 

services. 

The Point To Point Transport (Taxis and Hire Vehicles) 

Regulation 2017 is open for public consultation for 28 

days from 11 April 2017. 

The proposed regulation can be downloaded at www. 

transport.nsw.gov.au/pointtopoint. 

Industry feedback and enquiries can be emailed to 

pointtopoint@transport.nsw.gov.au or by phoning 1300 

767 923. 


Around Australia 

Interstate 

News 

The theme of the 2017 Queensland Transport 

Infrastructure Conference “Towards a 

Connected Transport Future for Queensland”. 

The conference will not only feature 

presentations on the major transport 

infrastructure projects in the pipeline for 

the State but also showcase innovative new 

digital trends and industry game changers 

such as the rise of disruptive applications 

and their convergence with transport 

infrastructure. 

Through a mix of keynote presentations and 

panel discussions, the conference will feature 

the latest updates on the State’s transport 

projects across sectors such as roads, rail, 

ports and airports as well as provide a 

platform for examining the intersection of 

disruptive technology and infrastructure. 

The event will have 20+ expert speakers 

and over 200 delegates. More information 

can be found on their website http://www. 

qldconference.com.au/ 

Uber wants the Queensland government to move 

the process for applying for an Uber driver licence 

completely online. 

Uber has made a submission last month, to the 

Queensland parliamentary committee reviewing the 

second stage of the Palaszczuk government’s ridesharing 

reforms. 

The legislation seeks to create a level playing field 

for the whole personalised transport industry, 

including taxis and ride-sharing services such as 

Uber. 

Uber Queensland general manager Alex Golden 

said the government had the opportunity to build 

a one-stop shop for drivers as part of its reforms to 

modernise the personalised transport industry. 

”This would help take pressure off the Department 

of Transport and Main Roads, save the government 

money and create a strong platform to extend more 

online services to everyday road users,” Mr Golden 

said in a statement. 

QUEENSLAND 

8th Annual Qld Transport Infrastructure 

Conference 23 & 24 May at Brisbane 

Convention and Exhibition Centre. 

The state government legalised ride-sharing 

services in September 2016, and this second 

phase of legislation is designed to streamline both 

licensing and regulatory requirements for the whole 

sector. 

A number of stakeholders will give submissions 

to the hearing, including the Taxi Council of 

Queensland, which has campaigned strongly against 

ride sharing in Queensland. 

The committee is due to report by May 15, 2017. 


What does the future of 

transport look like? 

SYDNEY 

MELBOURNE 

Peter Harris AO Chairman, 

Productivity Commission 

Professor John Quiggin 

Australian Laureate 

Fellow in Economics 

University of Queensland 

Dr Jennifer Kent 

Research Fellow University 

of Sydney 

Nicole Spencer 

Commonwealth 

Department of 

Infrastructure and 

Regional Development 

Professor Bert van Wee 

Professor of Transport Policy 

Delft University of Technology, 

The Netherlands 

Dr Tim Williams 

CEO, Committee for Sydney 

Professor Michiel Bliemer 

Professor of Transport Planning 

and Modelling University of 

Sydney Business School 

Dr Elliot Fishman 

Director, Institute for 

Sensible Transport 

Mechanisms for enhancing the 

productivity of our cities through 

transport innovation and policy 

reform 

Disruptive transport technology, 

driverless cars and the implications 

for government 

Local government’s role and 

the opportunity presented by 

disruptive transport technology 

and road user pricing 

Congestion charging: practice and 

impacts 

The Hon John Brumby AO 

Professorial Fellow, 

University of Melbourne 

and Monash University 

Professor Ian Harper 

Reserve Bank Board Member 

and Senior Advisor to 

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu 

Professor Bert van Wee 

Professor of Transport Policy 

Delft University of Technology, 

The Netherlands 

Alyssa Serafim 

Principal Infrastructure 

Advisor 

Infrastructure Victoria 

SEMINAR TOPICS 

Professor Michiel Bliemer 

Professor of Transport 

Planning and Modelling 

University of Sydney 

Marion Terrill 

Transport Program Director 

Grattan Institute 

Professor Graham Currie 

Professor of Public Transport, 

Monash University 

Dr Elizabeth Taylor 

Research Fellow, 

RMIT University 

Dr Elliot Fishman 

Director, Institute for 

Sensible Transport 

Electric vehicles: the consequences 

on fuel excise revenue 

Road user pricing in the digital age: 

Using technology to provide the right 

pricing signals to manage road use 

The human response: How road 

user pricing is likely to impact on 

transport behaviour 

The politics of road user pricing 

Emerging transport challenges in a 

growing Melbourne and Sydney 

SYDNEY 

Tuesday 8th August 2017 

MELBOURNE 

Thursday 10th August 2017 

Register at www.sensibletransport.org.au Registrations close 1st August 2017 

Produced by 

PLACES STRICTLY LIMITED

Health 

It is estimated 

that one in six 

Australians have 

a hearing loss. 

STOP MUMBLING 

WHEN YOU TALK! 

Do you find people mumble when they talk? 

Do you often ask people to repeat themselves? 

Do people say your television is too loud? 

If the answer is yes, you 

might have a hearing 

loss. Hearing loss is 

a common disorder. 

It is estimated that 

one in six Australians 

have a hearing loss. This rises 

dramatically to three in four 

when we look at the population 

over 70 years old. 

Unfortunately, even though we 

know good hearing is important 

for our communication, the 

statistics shows that only one in 

five people who need assistance 

with their hearing are actually 

aided. 

Audiologist, Hung To, at Alpha 

Hearing explains “There is a 

lot of misunderstanding about 

hearing loss and hearing aids. I 

had a client Stan who held off 

getting help for his hearing loss 

for a number of years because he 

thought that hearing aids would 

be the size of ‘half a brick’!!”. The 

reality was far from this. 

Stan was fitted with a pair of 

Starkey hearing aids which he 

says, 

“ people don’t know I 

am wearing hearing 

aids, unless I tell 

them” . 

Having hearing aids has 

changed Stan’s life. Where he 

previously would guess a lot of 

what people say, now he can 

hear them. 

Another misconception people 

have about hearing aids is that it 

cost a lot of money. 

There are fantastic high end 

devices that are more costly, 

but there are also a wide range 

of hearing aids which are very 

affordable that can make a 

significant difference to your 

hearing. 

Furthermore, if you are a 

pensioner or a veteran with a 

Gold DVA Card, the government 

Hearing Services Program 

provides free hearing services 

and substantial funding towards 

hearing aids if required. Costs 

should not stop you getting help 

for your hearing. 

If you have difficulties hearing, give Alpha 

Hearing a call on 9807 3007 to talk to a 

qualified audiologist who can guide you 

through your hearing problems. 


DRIVE A2B Special Offer 

TAXI TALK OFFER: 

FREE HEARING AID TRIALS * 

1. Try it (14 day free trial) 

2. Wear it (Work, home, play) 

3. Own it (Buy it if you like it!) 

ENJOY BETTER HEARING. COME IN FOR A 

~ Free comprehensive hearing assessment 

~ Free trial of world’s smallest in-the-ear and behind-the-ear hearing aids and 

~ Experience our amazing service and expertise 

Call 9807 3007 to book your appointment. 

294 Stephensons Rd, Mt Waverley 

55 Whitehorse Rd, Balwyn 

*selected makes & models

Major 

Events 

Showcase of Melbourne’s 

upcoming major events. 

Clunes Booktown 

Festival 

6 - 7 May 

The charming Goldfields village of Clunes is 

internationally recognised as a Booktown. It 

is a hub of ideas and the arts… along with a 

disproportionately high number of bookshops. 

The Clunes Booktown Festival is all about 

celebrating books and the great conversations 

and big ideas that come from them. Think 

author talks, workshops, live entertainment, 

a kids village, and good food. There will be 

around 18,000 people joining in the most 

amazing whole town bookshop experience in 

Australia. 

Headline authors this year include 

Clementine Ford, the Hon. Tim Fischer AC, 

Hannah Kent, Kate Grenville, A.S. Patric and 

Annie Raser-Rowland. 

Grampians Grape 

Escape 


Set among ragged mountain ranges, rolling 

hills and fertile farmland at the base of 

Mount William in Grampians National Park, 

the superb weekend includes standout 

out entertainment featuring cooking 

demonstrations, wine appreciation panels 

and master classes showcasing local chefs. 

Bring along your friends and taste some of 

the most flavoursome wine and produce 

from a huge array of exhibitors who have 

travelled from near and far. There’s plenty 

of action for the kids and everyone can try 

their feet at grape stomping! 


Van Gogh and the 

seasons 

Great Ocean Road 

Running Festival 


This event attracts thousands of participants 

seeking to conquer one of the most stunning and 

unique marathons in the world. 

Until 9 May @ National Gallery 

The exhibited works depict places that were 

the setting for many defining moments 

in the artist’s tumultuous life – the Dutch 

region of Brabant, where Van Gogh was born 

in 1853 and lived for much of his early life; 

Arles, where the artist experienced his most 

defining period of creativity; Saint-Rémy de 

Provence, where he was treated for mental 

illness in the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum; 

and Auvers-sur-Oise, where Van Gogh 

committed suicide in 1890. 

The two day festival of running across Lorne and 

Apollo Bay has grown to allow runners of all ages 

and abilities to participate in events ranging from 

the 1.5 kilometre Kid’s Gallop all the way up to 

the 60 Kilometre Ultra Marathon. This year there 

is also the Great Ocean Road Walk and a Kite 

Festival in Lorne and Apollo Bay. 

Driver Adverts 

want a driver? 

want work? 

TORQUAY DRIVER WANTED 

Conscientious taxi driver required in Torquay 

area for irregular shifts. Please call Phil on 

0419 012 701 

CHAUFFEUR DRIVER WANTED 

Part time/casual. Please call 0434 529 800 or 

text your accreditation details. 

SATURDAY TOP TAXI 

DRIVER NEEDED 

Full time day shift -must be over 25 years and 

at least 3 years experience. Taxi changeover 

at Rowville. Please ring Tony on 0413393594 

advertise 

HERE 

FREE for 

operators and 

drivers 

Send details of your 

DRIVER or JOB 

advertisement to 

info@DRIVEA2B.com.au 

or sms 0400 137 866 


39

Overseas News 

LOS ANGELES, USA 

BY DAVID KRAVETS 

Class action says Uber's "methodical 

scheme" manipulates rider fares, 

driver pay. 

Uber has devised a "clever and 

sophisticated" scheme in which it 

manipulates navigation data used to 

determine "up-front" rider fare prices 

while secretly short-changing the driver, 

according to a proposed class-action 

lawsuit against the ride-hailing app. 

When a rider uses Uber's app to hail a 

ride, the fare the app immediately shows 

to the passenger is based on a slower 

and longer route compared to the one 

displayed to the driver. The software 

displays a quicker, shorter route for the 

driver. But the rider pays the higher fee, 

and the driver's commission is paid from 

the cheaper, faster route, according to 

the lawsuit. 

amount paid by its users and the 

amount reported and paid to its drivers,” 

according to the suit filed in federal court 

in Los Angeles. Lawyers representing a 

Los Angeles driver for Uber, Sophano 

Van, said the programming was 

”shocking, ”methodical,” and ”extensive.” 

This latest lawsuit claims that Uber 

implemented the so-called "up-front" 

pricing scheme in September and 

informed drivers that fares are calculated 

on a per-mile and per-minute charge for 

the estimated distance and time of a ride. 

"However, the software that calculates 

the up-front price that is displayed and 

charged to the Users calculates the 

expected distance and time utilizing 

a route that is often longer in both 

distance and time to the one displayed 

in the driver’s application," according to 

the suit. 

”Specifically, the Uber Defendants 

deliberately manipulated the navigation 

data used in determining the fare 

In the end, the rider pays a higher fee 

because the software calculates a longer 

route and displays that to the passenger. 


SAN FRANCISCO, USA 

San Francisco ride-hailing firm Lyft has raised $500 

million from investors, according to sources with 

knowledge of the matter, significantly boosting its 

valuation as its larger competitor Uber remains mired 

in a string of recent scandals. 

The new round of funding values the company at $7.5 billion, 

up from $5.5 billion last year. 

While Lyft remains a distant second in the ride-hailing market 

behind Uber, it has capitalized in recent months on Uber’s 

struggles, positioning itself as a “friendlier” alternative to the 

ride-hailing giant, and launching an aggressive expansion in 

the U.S., entering more than 100 cities during the first three 

months of 2016. 

ITALY 

Uber was being 

unceremoniously thrown 

out of Italy just last month, 

after a court in the country decided 

to officially ban the ridesharing 

app, citing unfair competition with 

traditional transportation offerings 

(like taxis). 

But now, an appellate court in 

Rome has suspended the lower 

court’s ruling, accepting an appeal 

the ridesharing company filed 

against the initial decision. 

That doesn’t mean that Uber is 

back to stay for good, however 

— just that it can stay until the 

appeal’s process is concluded. 

Yet the driver is paid a lower rate based on a quicker 

route, according to the suit. Uber keeps "the difference 

charged to the User and the fare reported to the driver, in 

addition to the service fee and booking fee disclosed to 

drivers," according to the suit. 

The manipulation of prices between the amount charged 

to Users and the amount reported to drivers is clever and 

sophisticated. The software utilized in determining the 

up-front price is specifically designed to provide a route 

distance and time estimate based on traffic conditions 

and other variables but not to determine the shortest/ 

quickest reasonable route based on those conditions. 

Meanwhile, the software utilized in the driver’s 

application, which navigates the drivers to the User’s 

destination, utilizes traffic conditions and other variables 

to provide the driver with a more efficient, shorter, or 

quicker route to the User’s destination, resulting in a 

lower fare payout to the driver. 

The suit claims breach of contract, unjust enrichment, 

fraud, and unfair competition. The suit seeks back pay 

and legal fees, and it demands a halt to "the unlawful, 

deceptive, fraudulent, and unfair business practices." 

The original decision to kick Uber 

out upheld a complaint initially 

filed by taxi unions. As part of 

the decision, not only would 

Uber have to stop operating in 

Italy, but it would have also been 

forced to stop advertising in the 

country. Failing to comply with 

these mandates was initially 

going to result in a fine of 10,000 

euros (AU$14,500) for every day 

it remained active beyond the 10- 

day period. 

But Uber has won the battle for 

now. 

This is not the first time Uber has 

been in trouble in Italy. Two years 

ago, a court in Milan decided to 

ban the UberPop application. At 

the time, it was determined that 

the app encouraged unlicensed 

drivers to offer taxi services. 

Despite an appeal, that decision 

was upheld at a later hearing in 

Turin. 


41

Overseas News 

JAKARTA, INDONESIA 

Go-Jek, the Indonesian motorcyclehailing 

startup is in talks with 

investors to raise $1 billion. 

The new money will give the Jakarta 

company added power to battle rivals, 

Uber and Grab, for a lead in Southeast 

Asia’s largest economy. 

The company is seeking the new money 

to expand, with the first round of bids 

due by the end of this month. 

Transportation startups are scrambling to 

capture market share in Southeast Asia, 

which has a ride-hailing market that is 

taking off and could grow 18% a year 

to $13.1 billion by 2025, according to 

estimates by Alphabet Inc.’s Google and 

Singapore state investment firm Temasek 

Holdings. 

Growth in the USA is slowing. 

The number of people who use a 

ridehailing service in America will 

increase 7% in 2018, compared with an 

estimated 13% gain this year, according 

to research firm eMarketer. 

Go-Jek launched its app in 2015 and 

is named after the motorcycle taxis, or 

ojeks, that customers can order through 

its platform. 

Gridlock on the streets in Indonesia, 

Southeast Asia’s most populous country, 

makes motorcycle taxi services a popular 

option for customers looking to cut 

through lanes of cars. 

Some 250 million people live in 

Indonesia, with about 30 million of those 

in Jakarta, the capital. 

Go-Jek has expanded its offerings to 

include not just motorcycle rides, but 

food and package deliveries, as well 

as on-demand beauty and cleaning 

services. 


TAXI COVER 

#1 

SINCE 1978 

Serving the taxi industry for 38 years 

• Trustworthy 

• Reliability 

• Service 

• Peace of Mind 

CALL TO DISCUSS YOUR TAXI COVER NEEDS 

THE OWNERS ASSOCIATION 

1084 Centre Road, Oakleigh South 

OFFICE 

9563 7812 

MEMBER LINE 

9092 6082

Trade Directory 

Wash 

at the Airport Unigas 

Auto 

Car Wash 

& GET A 

FREE 

HOT DRINK 

available at Melrose Lounge. Collect your 

voucher from the Unigas office. 

advertise 

HERE 

Maxi Taxi 

Conversions 

2 

WHEELCHAIR POSITIONS 

under 

$ 

13,500 

* while stocks last 

Only $215 for 

your business 

card advert 

Contact Toni Peters 

P: 0400 137 866 

E: tonipeters@DRIVEA2B.com.au 

60-62 Bennet Street 

DANDENONG 

Tel: (03) 9793 1066 

Fax: 9794 5840 Email: conversion@norden.com.au Website: www.norden.com.au 


Trade Directory 

CCIDENT 

OVER 

ACCIDENT COVER 

FOR TAXIS & 

HIRE CARS 

We have Quick and 

Easy solutions 

for all your 

Accident Cover 

needs 

QUICK EASY SOLUTIONS 

FOR ALL YOUR TAXI & HIRE CAR 

ACCIDENT COVER NEEDS 

VICTORIA TAXI CLUB 

128 Errol Street, North Melbourne 

tel 9326 3808 | fax 9326 4808 | email vic.taxi@bigpond.com 

Metropolitan Taxi Club 

TAXI 

COVER 

PROTECTION 

PHONE 9388 0722 

360 BRUNSWICK ROAD, BRUNSWICK 

KEEP CONTROL OF 

YOUR BUSINESS 

WITH A SCHMIDT G5 METER 

PHONES 

9546 6990 

1300 132 433 

EMAIL info@schmidt.com.au 

WEBSITE www.schmidt.com.au 

153 Osborne Avenue 

CLAYTON SOUTH 

01 

Schmidt G5 

48.50 

SN 123456 

$ 

TARIFF Tap to Pause or Hold to Total FARE 

$ 

5.10 

TOLLS 

Schmidt G5 Taximeter 

CITYLINK 

$ 

Tap to Add 

DAY • HIRED 

2.00 

EXTRAS 

Keep control of your business 

• Fully automatic self-calibration 

- World’s first self-calibrating taximeter. 

- Recalibrates itself automatically whenever required e.g. when you change tyres. 

- No need to visit a dealer for calibration, saving you time and money. 

• Eliminates off-meter fares and could pay for itself 

many times over every year 

Day View 

- World’s first taximeter with optional ultrasonic passenger detection 

- Keeps the fare running whenever a passenger is riding in your taxi 

• Prevent other parties from owning your confidential 

income data and putting your privacy at risk 

• Control your taximeter via secure website log-in 

Schmidt Electronic Laboratories Pty Ltd 

Trusted by thousands of taxi operators & drivers for more than 35 years 

Phone (03) 9546 6990 or 1300 132 422 | Email info@schmidt.com.au | Website www.schmidt.com.au 

Address 153 Osborne Avenue, Clayton South, VIC 3169 | ABN 20 005 631 710 

TAXI COVER 

SINCE 1978 

Serving the taxi industry for 38 years 

PHONE 9563 7812 


#1 

• Trustworthy 

• Reliability 

• Service 

• Peace of Mind 

CALL TO DISCUSS YOUR TAXI COVER NEEDS 

Taxi Repair 

specialist 

• RWC for Taxi and VHA 

THE OWNERS • ASSOCIATION 

OFFICE 

All mechanical repairs 


9563 7812 

• Electronic diagnostics 

MEMBER LINE 

9092 6082 

• Air Con repairs and regas 

• LPG repairs, servicing & installation 

2/32 Roberna Street, Moorabbin Ph: 9532 5555 | 0412 077 462 


45

Classifieds 

advertise 

HERE 

Only $35 for 

40 words 

Payment details are 

listed on page 3 

Numurkah 

Taxi Service 

FOR SALE or TRY BEFORE YOU BUY 

[lease for 6 or 12 months] Have a 

tree change. Country town North of 

Shepparton. Good customer base, DVA 

and other contract work. 2 x FG Ford 

sedans in good condition, low kms. Ring 

Rob on 0417 386 311. 

Taxi Licences 

Wanted For Lease 

Contact Peter on 0487 268 882. 

Wanted to Lease 

Contact Irfan on 0424 717 102 

Join the depot with the 

cheapest fees in 

Melbourne 

Crown Cabs is offering everyone the cheapest 

ongoing depot fees in Melbourne - only $210 +gst. 

Why pay hundreds when you can pay less for the 

same service? Join now. Phone 9310 5422 today! 

Advertisers’ 

Directory 

Adams Maguire Sier Lawyers.....31 

Airport Taxi Car Wash.....................44 

Alpha Hearing....................................37 

CrimeStoppers..................................44 

Embassy Cafe.....................................21 

Geo Wash.............................................27 

Inst. for Sensible Transport.........35 

Kids Under Cover.............................47 

Mann Lawyers....................................13 

Metropolitan Taxi Club.....................4 

Norden Conversion.........................19 

Roberna Pro Repairs.......................45 

Schmidt Electronic Labs...............15 

TAC Towards Zero.............................48 

The Owners Association...............43 

Ticktoc......................................................2 

Victorian Hire Car Assoc...............11 

Vic. Taxi & Hire Car Families.......17 

Victoria Taxi Club.............................29 

Yarra Finance......................................12 


Drug driving 

a serious road safety issue 

In the last five years approximately 41% of all drivers and 

motorcyclists killed who were tested, had drugs in their 

system, with cannabis and stimulants the most common 

substances detected. 

About 18% of drivers and motorcyclists killed in 2015 

tested positive to THC, the active component of cannabis. 

In the past 5 years, approximately 13% of riders and 

drivers killed, who were tested, had anti-depressants in 

their system and 11% with stimulant/amphetamine type 

drugs such as ecstasy, speed and ice. 

Roadside drug 

testing 

Victoria Police have the right 

to pull drivers over at any time 

and test their saliva for traces 

of illicit drugs including THC, 

methamphetamines and ecstasy. 

Any driver may be asked to 

take a saliva test at any time. 

The saliva tests do not detect 

prescription drugs or common 

medications such as cold and flu 

tablets. 

Penalties 

If your saliva sample comes back positive, you can be charged. For a first offence, the authorities can choose to issue an 

infringement notice or take you to court. If you receive an infringement notice and do not agree with it, you have a time 

period during which you can choose to go to court, however, if the court finds you guilty, the penalties will be harsher. 

Traffic infringement notices are not issued for subsequent drug driving offences. Charges are laid for the offence and the 

matter is dealt with at court.

DRIVE A2B May 2017

Transform your PDFs into Flipbooks and boost your revenue!

Delete template?

Save as template ?