DRIVE A2B August 2017

DRIVE 

Voice of the Victorian Point-to-Point Transport Industry 

AUGUST 2017 

NO 04 

incorporating 

VOICE 

OF THE TAXI INDUSTRY 

TAXITALK 

MAGAZINE 

on the ranks since 1966 

UNITY 

IS WHAT IS 

NEEDED 

IN THIS INDUSTRY 

TAXIS HIRE CARS RIDE SOURCING OWNERS DRIVERS SERVICES

DEREGULATION 

IS COMING! 

WE WANT YOUR TAXI! 

Have 

you had 

enough? 

Are you 

looking to 

retire? 

Do you 

want a 

change? 

FAIR PRICE PAID & IMMEDIATE SETTLEMENT 

GET OUT NOW! 

BEFORE DEREGULATION 

DESTROYS YOUR BUSINESS 

CONTACT HARRY 

0418 333 433 

email harry@taxilink.com.au 

1313-1315 North Road, Huntingdale 

Phone 9543 8700

CONTENTS 

REGULARS 

6 Really Minister 

The Victorian Minister for Transport has 

been less than forthcoming with the facts. 

It is a classic example of not what you say, 

but what you don’t say. 

10 VHCA update 

Vice President, Andre Baruch, gives an 

update on the TSC Ride Share Steering 

Committee and the Melbourne Airport 

Landside Operator’s Committee. 

16 Victorian Taxi & Hire Car 

Families 

Over 500 people attended their recent 

meeting to discuss the status of our 

industry and to be encouraged not to give 

up hope. 

20 Autonomous cars 

These vehicles won’t stop congestion, but 

they will make your future commute a lot 

more pleasant. 

26 Your say 

Letters and emails received by DRIVE A2B 

regarding the point-to-point transport 

industry. 

32 Industry statistics 

Figures for last month’s Victorian taxi and 

hire car industry statistics. 

36 Overseas news 

Snippets regarding the point-to-point 

industry around the world. 

Editor 

Mrs Toni Peters 

Publisher 

Trade Promotions Pty Ltd 

PO Box 2345, Mount Waverley Vic. 3149 

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DRIVE A2B magazine · August 2017 3

Welcome 

to the August 2017 edition of 

DRiVE 

Voice of the Victorian Point-to-Point Transport Industry 

Editorial 

Melbourne Airport is 

changing the way that 

they are collecting the 

fees from taxi drivers 

who wish to service passengers 

at Melbourne Airport. 

As of 1 September the current 

swipe card process will no longer 

be used. Instead gantries will 

identify a vehicle as being a taxi 

and the vehicle’s e-TAG will be 

debited. 

To date nothing has been 

mentioned with regards to Hire 

Car or Ride Share vehicles and 

whether there will be a charge to 

their e-TAGs in the future. 

Last month, in a recent 

letter from the Taxi Services 

Commission (TSC) regarding the 

Transition Assistance package, 

it was stated that the package 

provides a lump-sum, upfront 

payment to eligible taxi and hire 

car licence holders. At this stage 

the Australian Taxation Office is 

treating this value as income and 

it will be subject to tax. 

The letter also stated that all 

eligible licence holders (those 

who held an eligible licence on 

15 August 2016 and still held 

that licence on 14 July 2017), 

will automatically receive their 

Transition Assistance payment 

shortly after legislation passes 

through parliament. 

Perhaps it should have read 

IF legislation passes through 

parliament. It hasn’t passed yet 

and you should never pre-empt 

what this government of ours is 

going to do. 

The letter also asked the 

question “WHAT YOU NEED TO 

DO?” It’s answer was “NOTHING! 

– IT’S BUSINESS AS USUAL.” 

NOTHING? Really? What 

is usual about the state this 

industry is currently in? 

What is usual about the fact that 

this government is cancelling 

all taxi and hire car licences 

and only giving a pittance of 

remuneration back to their 

owners? 

What is usual about the regulators, 

the TSC, not enforcing the 

regulations? 

Last month a position was 

advertised for a “Senior Accessible 

Transport Services Administration 

Officer” for the TSC. The 

advertisement stated that the TSC 

regulates the taxi and hire vehicle 

industries in Victoria. Now that’s 

interesting - because of late they 

haven’t been enforcing the rules 

and regulations of the Transport 

Act, yet they still advertise 

themselves at regulators! 

Jacinta Allan, Minister for 

Transport, said after last month’s 

train debacle, that the computer 

malfunction was ”completely 

unacceptable” and said that 

tighter control to stop a repeat of 

the problem will be put in place. 

How is she going to have tighter 

control over the computers or 

the programs that run the train 

system? Maybe she has a looking 

glass that is able to tell when 

these things are going to happen 

and therefore she can wave her 

wand and stop them! 

4 DRIVE A2B magazine · August 2017

incorporating 

VOICE 

OF THE TAXI INDUSTRY 

TAXITALK 

MAGAZINE 

on the ranks since 1966 

She also announced that the 

government is looking at capping 

Uber’s surge pricing in such 

situations. Ms Allan said the 

company was being “put on 

notice”. 

“Certainly as part of broader 

reforms to the industry, these 

sorts of concerns on consumer 

protection is exactly what we want 

to have in place,” she said. 

But, Ms Allan, this is what Uber is 

all about. Low fares when there 

is a glut of commercial passenger 

vehicles on the road and then hike 

them through the roof when there 

is a shortage. 

Uber has been doing this all 

around the world ever since it 

started - some eight years ago! 

This is how Uber and their driver 

partners make their money. Uber’s 

drivers cannot live on the regular 

fares that they offer, so they 

accept those fares and then wait 

patiently until the surged fares 

come along. 

Does Ms Allan really think that 

SHE is going to get Uber to stop 

surge pricing? Surely she can’t be 

that shortsighted? Perhaps she 

should go to Specsavers! 

By the way, hasn’t the government 

just about deregulated this 

industry, and now they are 

spruiking that they will be putting 

regulations in place. Anyone out 

there confused? 

Uber has so many problems that 

even getting rid of CEO Travis 

Kalanick has not enabled the 

company to resolve all of their 

problems. 

Just last month the company 

was slapped with another 

lawsuit in New York’s Supreme 

Court, over its near-total lack of 

wheelchair accessible vehicles. 

Apparently only 100 of Uber’s 

58,000 city cars are equipped to 

transport wheelchair customers. 

Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) 

website shows a complaint 

by the plaintiffs (a coalition of 

activists) and it states, “Uber has 

demonstrated a total disregard 

for the needs of people with 

disabilities in the provision of its 

transportation services and the 

anti-discrimination laws of New 

York City”. 

DRA also says that passengers 

trying to hail a car with Uber’s 

pilot program for wheelchairaccessible 

vehicles, UberWAV, 

“face extended wait times, or are 

still denied access to the service 

altogether, demonstrating that the 

new service is nothing more than 

window-dressing, designed to 

avoid government regulation and 

legal requirements”. 

So, if Uber is unable to provide 

enough vehicles for its UberWAV 

program in New York City, it is 

most unlikely that it will be able 

to provide them in Victoria. And 

by their own admission, Luke 

Groeneveld said during the 

Parliamentary Enquiry that this is 

certainly not their priority, nor is it 

priority to get Uber driver-partners 

in regional areas. 

Toni Peters 

EDITOR 

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DRIVE A2B magazine · August 2017 

5

VIEWPOINT 

Really 

Minister 

ALTERNATIVE FACTS! 

In Victoria there are 

approximately 5600 taxi 

licences and 2700 hire car 

licences. The Minister’s 

public suggestions that taxi 

drivers will be $23,000/year 

better off, is simply untrue. 

We have been advised that less 

than 10% of the 5600 Victorian 

taxi fleet pay $23,000/year to the 

Victorian Government. The 2700 

hire car licences are privately 

owned, cannot be leased, therefore 

the $23000/year has no bearing on 

the hire car industry at all. 

In fact nothing in this Bill adds 

any improvements to the hire 

car industry. We have spoken to 

customers of the hire car industry 

and Minister Allan should do the 

same. 

New ride sharing entrants to 

Victoria (primarily Uber) will 

not have to pay $23000/year 

while the Minister leaves the 

established industry financially 

ruined with legacy debt and also 

emotionally shattered. 

In a letter by Minister Allan to 

the Scrutiny of Acts Committee 

(SARC), with regards to the 

Commercial Passenger Vehicle 

Industry Bill 2017, the Minister 

wrote that there was no Charter 

concern because ‘there is 

some doubt’ as to whether a 

taxi licence under the current 

legislation was property. 

In support of that idea, the 

Minister referred to a British 

planning law case in which the 

loss of value in a home was 

found not to be a property right. 

What the Minister did not 

mention was, that the question 

of taxi licences as property 

has already been decided in 

Australia..... by the High Court! 

In Federal Commissioner of 

Taxation v Murray (1998) 193 

CLR 605, the majority of the High 

Court wrote that “the licence 

is property... A taxi licence is a 

valuable item of property because 

it has economic potential. It 

allows its holder to conduct a 

profitable business and it may 

be sold or leased for reward to a 

third party.” 

There is no doubt that taxi 

licences in Australia are property. 

Minister Allan also publicly claims 

that the Victorian government 

are providing the most generous 

compensation package in 

Australia. 

Minister Allan says this without 

providing any context - no other 

State or Territory in Australia is 

cancelling $1BILLION of taxi-cab 

and hire-car licences; in fact, 

we are unaware of any other 

place on the planet where this 

bizarre decision has been made 

to accommodate ride-sharing 

operations. 

It was simply not necessary to 

do this to introduce ride share 

providers to Victoria’s commercial 

passenger vehicle industry. 

The failure of the Taxi Services 

Commission (TSC) has left 


Victorian Transport Minister 

Jacinta Allan has been less than 

forthcoming with the facts. It is a 

classic example of not what you 

say, but what you don’t say. 

BY ROD BARTON, President VHCA 

our members bewildered and 

frustrated over their lack of 

compliance action. 

The TSC has openly supported 

illegal ride share operators by 

turning a blind eye. 

Many people within the taxi 

and hire car industry have lost 

complete confidence in the ability 

of the TSC to be independent 

of Government and enforce the 

current legislation. Legislation 

which we believe they have a 

statutory obligation to enforce. 

The Andrews Government leaves 

thousands of established drivers 

and operators financially and 

emotionally damaged, many will 

not recover. 

Jacinta Allan (Labor), Samantha 

Dunn (Greens) and Fiona Patton 

(Sex Party) have combined to 

reduce a popular, well run hire 

car industry to nothing more than 

a part time ride share provider, 

compromising safety, lowering 

standards and consumer choice. 

All at the expense of the travelling 

public. 

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7

TAXI NEWS 

CONSPIRACY 

TO TAKE 

OVER 

BY HANS ALTHOFF, Taxi Owner/Operator 

As a general rule I do 

not prescribe to a 

conspiracy theory, 

however there 

seems to be plenty 

of evidence and facts over the last 

15 years that could support such 

a theory. 

Who are or would be 

the players in such a 

conspiracy? 

The Government, the TSC, the 

Victorian Taxi Association (VTA) 

and the Radio networks all 

benefited over the last 15 years by 

the systematic destruction of the 

Victorian taxi industry. 

Contrary to popular belief I do 

not include the radio networks as 

part of the taxi industry, but a very 

important supplier to the industry. 

The real taxi industry is made 

up of licence holders, operators 

and drivers. The real taxi industry 

originally included the radio 

networks till they were taken 

over by big industry players who 

started to work for their own 

interest, rather than the common 

good. 

So where did all this start? 

I believe that it all started with 

some person or a group of people 

in Treasury who realised that there 

was a lot of money to be made by 

the government if they no longer 

issued or sold Perpetual Taxi 

Licences to the Taxi Industry, but 

rather issue yearly licences for a 

price. 

They decided to test the water by 

issuing 600 Peak Service licences, 

claiming to help the customer by 

putting more taxis on the road in 

peak times. 

The government made these 

yearly licences available only to 

drivers who fulfilled certain criteria 

and got the drivers on their side 

by falsely telling them that they 

could be their own boss, when in 

fact they became the slaves of the 

government. 

Any driver who drove the vehicle 

by himself, as suggested by the 

Government, soon found that he 

drove himself to exhaustion, or did 

not make a reasonable living. 

With the drivers and the public 

on the side of the Government 

there remained only four more 

obstacles namely the radio 

networks, the perpetual Taxi 

Licence Holders, the Taxi 

Operators, and the Victorian Taxi 

Association. 

The radio networks and 

the VTA did a deal with 

Government whereby they 

would each benefit to the 

tune of $3.5 million with 

virtually no capital cost. 

The radio networks did not 

dispatch any more work, but had 

to pay a small amount of money 

for equipment, however they 

charged the same depot fees and 

hence added over $3 million to 

their profit line. All the government 

had to do for their $3.5 million 

windfall, was the payment of a 

small increase in their wages bill. 

It is at this point that the 

The VTA abandoned the 

Licence holders first then the Operators. 


government went into business 

with the radio networks, created a 

conflict of interest and abandoned 

it responsibilities as a regulator. 

This relatively small action by 

the government netted the 

radio networks till 2017 in 

excess of $70 million. So a 

very cosy arrangement where 

the government and the radio 

networks win, and where the voice 

of Perpetual Licence Holders, the 

Operators and the Drivers are not 

even heard and therefore they lose. 

Over the last few years a similar 

method was used to put more 

money into the coffers of the radio 

networks and the government. 

The Brumby Government sold 200 

ten-year licences for $36 million 

and issued 320 Wheelchair Taxi 

Licences for a yearly fee of around 

$11 million per year, which was 

later reduced to $7 million. 

However we shouldn’t forget the 

ex-chairman of the ACCC, Allan 

Fels, who managed to release 

hundreds more taxis into an 

already grossly oversupplied 

market. His understanding of the 

taxi industry was so poor, that 

he did not know the difference 

between occupation rate in a taxi 

and availability of a taxi. 

couple of years they would have 

made more than $20 million per 

year, but they want more. In fact 

the proposed levy of $1 per job 

will give them $40 million a year. 

In a recent letter from the 

government it says 

“WHAT YOU NEED TO DO - 

Nothing! – it’s business as 

usual” 

Perpetual Taxi Licence holders 

with respect to the proposed 

licence changes is an absolute 

insult to the intelligence of every 

Licence Holder. 

Is it business as usual when you 

can no longer sell an asset that 

you held for many years? 

Is it business as usual when your 

Need 

LEGAL 

assistance? 

Serving the Taxi Industry 

for over 30 years 

assets of the business have been 

transferred to Big Business? 

It has become more and 

more evident in more recent 

years that the taxi licence 

holders and the operators 

were no longer represented 

by the VTA. 

The VTA abandoned the Licence 

Holders first, then the Operators. 

Now that Cabcharge feels that the 

VTA has done the job for them, 

they no longer pay any fees to the 

VTA, take the VTA CEO into their 

fold and congratulate themselves 

for a job well done. 

It is now absolutely clear that the 

Licence Holders can no longer 

expect any help from the radio 

networks or the VTA. 

• Business 

• Commercial 

• Conveyancing 

• Estate Planning 

• Family 

• Litigation 

• Probate 

• Taxation 

• Superannuation 

Since 2002 the Victorian 

government has had more than 

$100 million income from the taxi 

industry, without spending a single 

dollar in capital. Over the last 

AMS 

LAW 

Adams Maguire Sier 

176 Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe 

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

Since 2002 Victorian government 

has received more than $100 million income from this industry. 


9

VHCA 

INDUSTRY 

COMMITTEES 

BY ANDRE BARUCH, Vice President VHCA 

Taxi Services Commission 

Services Ride Share 

Steering Committee 

As representative of the VHCA 

I am a member of the Victorian 

Government’s Taxi Services 

Commission (TSC) led steering 

committee. This committee is 

tasked with helping to determine, 

among other things, how to 

implement the new laws that will 

eventually allow “Ride Share” to 

operate legally in Victoria. 

At this point it is worth 

remembering that a camel is a 

horse that has been designed by a 

committee! 1 

I can’t help notice the irony that this 

committee includes representatives 

from the Department of Economic 

Development, Jobs,Transport and 

Resources (The Dept) and the 

TSC (including their legal team). 

When you review their previous 

track record, the makeup of this 

committee does not fill us with 

confidence. 

Also in attendance were 

representatives from State Revenue 

Office (SRO), taxi operators and (at 

the time of writing) illegal operators 

such as Uber and Sheebah. 

Nothing like letting the wolves 

dictate to the sheep what the rules 

will be … 

Putting that aside, the Committee 

decided to form working groups 

talking about four key areas of 

interest: 

1. Driver Accreditation; 

2. Booking Service Providers; 

3. Vehicles and 

4. Communications. 

The good news is that the 

TSC recognises that their 

communications have not been up 

to scratch! Far from it, if you ask 

me … 

The not so good news is that 

as there was so much interest 

from most participants in being 

in working groups the TSC has 

decided to form one working group 


The government is letting 

the wolves dictate 

to the sheep what the rules will be. 

with everyone involved, with a 

meeting time (as of 12 July) yet 

to be set. 

At the last meeting the Steering 

Committee was advised of 

the now publicised pathways 

ONCE legislation has been 

passed. At the time of writing 

the legislation has still not been 

passed by parliament. 

Melbourne Airport 

Landside Operator’s 

Committee 

I am also a member of 

Melbourne Airport’s Landside 

Operators’ Committee. 

Melbourne Airport gives us a 

quarterly run down on what has 

been happening – including all 

planned infrastructure works 

and the effect the current 

roadworks on the freeway are 

having on the airport. 

There is also a focus on safety, 

and safety related incidents. 

It is pleasing to note that, 

given the huge numbers of 

individual movements of 

people and vehicles at the 

airport, the safety incidents 

are ridiculously low. All of us, 

including the airport staff, are 

to be commended for this – for 

our safe driving and awareness 

of passengers around us. 

I am, of course, keeping a close 

eye on the parking plans that 

the airport has for Uber, but 

at this stage they have yet to 

announce anything. 

All they are saying is that:- 

1. they are aware that VHA 

cars offer a premium 

service and should retain 

their premium parking 

place. 

2. they will make plans if 

and when Ride Sharing is 

legalised. 

I will keep you all informed of 

any changes; both through 

DRIVE A2B and through the 

VHCA’s Facebook page. 

1 An expression critical of committees 

by emphasizing the ineffectiveness of 

incorporating too many conflicting opinions 

into a single project. 

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11

RIDE SOURCING 

The TWU calls on all 

state government to 

stop ride-share rip-off of 

passengers and drivers. 

STOP 

INDUSTRY 

RIP-OFFS 

The Transport Workers’ Union 

(TWU) is calling on all State 

Governments to protect 

passengers and drivers over 

arbitrary rate increases and 

wage reductions by ride-sharing 

platforms such as Uber. 

The Union is also seeking 

regulation to force transparency 

from Uber on how it sets its rates, 

following complaints from drivers 

and passengers over its secretive 

system. 

“We cannot stand by while 

a system which is gaining a 

foothold in our transport network 

can increase rates or reduce them 

at random. At the moment this 

is happening at the whim of tech 

giants which are wielding their 

power in an entirely opaque way.” 

“Governments need to protect 

drivers and passengers from 

being ripped off,” said TWU 

National Secretary Tony Sheldon. 

The TWU call follows Ms Jacinta 

Allan’s (Victorian Transport 

Minister) announcement last 

month that it would introduce 

legislation to protect passengers 

against rate increases associated 

with Uber’s price-surging model. 

But the TWU also wants to see 

protections for drivers, who suffer 

when Uber cuts rates, leaving 

them earning less, or increases 

rates, threatening their livelihoods 

by turning customers off. 

“Passengers were ripped off in 

Melbourne last month when the 

train network shut down and in 

Sydney during the Lindt café siege 

because of Uber’s price-surging”, 

said Tony Sheldon. 

“Drivers who sign up to Uber 

in good faith cannot bank on 

an income when the company 

can increase or decrease rates 

without warning or consultation. 

Governments are failing to protect 

the public and drivers by not 

acting on this,” he added. 

Uber has been criticised over 

its lack of transparency on 

how it sets its rates and the 

fact that the gap between what 

passengers pay and what drivers 

get is widening. A new system 

being trialled for “route-pricing” 

based on what Uber estimates 

passengers are willing to pay, is 

also being criticised. 

“The on-demand economy 

is again in the dock over its 

influence on our laws and society. 

We already know drivers are being 

denied protections such as sick 

leave and annual leave and are 

subject to arbitrary dismissal 

without independent oversight of 

industrial tribunals”, Mr Sheldon 

continued. 

“We also have passengers and 

drivers held to ransom over price 

gouging when it suits the tech 

giants. Our Governments need to 

regulate this sector to protect our 

society,” Mr Sheldon added. 

Governments are failing 

to protect the public and drivers by not acting. 


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VTHF 

ONE GLITCH 

& RIDESHARE 

GOES TO TOWN 

Middle of July 

the Melbourne 

transport system 

shut down, due to a 

malfunction, leaving hundreds 

of commuters stranded. This 

caused chaos amongst the 

travelling public wanting to get 

home and left them seeking 

alternatives. 

Having so many people all 

wanting to make an exodus 

out of the city made the roads 

extremely congested and added 

extra time for everyone to get 

home. Although the trains were 

up and running after a short 

period, it took many hours for 

the roads to clear. 

to where they wanted to go 

certainly paid a very handsome 

price. 

This is a litmus test for things 

to come, since our state 

government doesn’t have the 

foresight to see the peril that 

they have placed the public 

in. An unregulated and illegal 

service had taken it upon 

themselves to make a mockery 

of the people who use them. 

The illegal rideshare model 

has shown its modus operandi 

well before they are deemed 

to operate legally. It has made 

its intentions quite clear that 

placing the highest price on 

peak times of demand is of the 

highest priority. 

A hard lesson for people who 

used this illegal service to learn. 

It had left a big hole in their 

wallet. 

The frustration of the transport 

meltdown made a good talking 

point in the media, which had a 

lot of people angrily complaining 

of the price gouging of the illegal 

rideshare. Around the world 

we have seen and read about 

ridesharing using this tactic even 

at the most catastrophic events. 

This was an opportunity for the 

illegal rideshare to gouge the 

people they so desperately want 

to win over. Many who opted 

to use this illegal service to get 


Hands up 

if you think the Victorian government should 

Buy Back - Buy Fair! 

The illegal rideshare also 

highlights the incompetence 

of government who allow an 

unregulated service do what it 

likes and how it pleases, and not 

value an industry that has shown 

more value and service. 

The recent joint meeting 

of VTHF and VHCA 

members last month 

saw legal people, 

Bronwyn and Hayden, attend the 

meeting and give an update on 

the legal proceedings on behalf 

of the VTHF. 

They advised that they have 

sent a significant amount of 

correspondence to parliament 

members and personnel at the 

Taxi Services Commission, and 

that they have done monumental 

amounts of research and 

evidence collecting. 

They stated that even if the 

Commercial Passenger Vehicle 

Industry 2017 Bill passes in 

August - that’s not the end of the 

fight. Their primary objective is 

to get a better deal on licence 

compensation. 

It was also mentioned that 

concrete evidence was needed 

before legal proceedings were 

begun. Now that this evidence 

is to hand and their portfolio is 

almost complete, they will be 

moving forward post haste . 

A timeline and potential costs 

for the legal proceedings will be 

advised once the case is fully 

determined, put into place and 

goals have been set. 

As Linda DeMelis said, “We 

need to put our trust in these 

legal representatives as they are 

trained in law and it is the law 

that we need help with”. 

We all need to unite and unify if 

we are to have a win against this 

government. 


15

LEGAL NEWS 

YOUR FAMILY’S 

Future 

Property 

BY NADAV PRAWER, Partner, Mann Lawyers 

Whatever you think of the government’s Commercial Passenger 

Industry Bill 2017 and other proposed activities for the hire 

car and taxi industries, they represent major change in three 

categories: 

Firstly, the abolition of personal, transferrable taxi licences as a form of property. 

Secondly, the receipt by the registered owners of taxis and hire cars of significant sums 

of money, payable by way of ‘industry transition assistance’ payments’ (the ‘Fairness Fund’ 

has yet to pay out or pledge a single dollar to even the most desperate of taxi families.) 

Thirdly, a new form of regulation, in the form of a State Revenue Office registration and 

collection of the industry levy. 

These three changes represent a 

major structural change to the lives 

of many. 

However, some forward planning 

may help reduce the potential 

impact of all three changes, 

particularly for those for whom 

taxi licences represented a primary 

income stream. 

Whilst the needs of each individual 

and family will vary and an industry 

publication cannot be a substitute 

for targeted legal advice, obtaining 

professional advice on each of the 

following matters may be worth 

doing. 

Check your will 

For many long-standing taxi 

families, the licence may have 

been intended to be passed 

to a particular descendant or 

beneficiary. If this is the case, 

the loss of the licence may mean 

that one beneficiary will receive 

a greatly reduced portion of an 

estate. This can give rise to family 

disputes, but also a challenge to 

a will. 

Similarly, if you are forced to, or 

are considering, selling assets to 

increase income now, you should 

consider its effect on your estate 

planning. 

A good accountant should be 

consulted, as well as your lawyer. 

As most Australians do not have a 

will, this time of change is a good 

opportunity to make clear provision 

for your children. 


Three changes represent a 

major structural change to the 

lives of many. 

Re-calibrate your 

income distributions 

The current advice from the 

Australian Tax Office is that the 

payments from the Victorian 

Government will be considered 

income. This may effect 

entitlements to a range of 

government benefits, including 

pensions and health care cards, 

as well as, of course, triggering 

income tax. 

If you currently pay child support, 

or if you would be liable for child 

support except for your income, 

the payment may cause a change 

in your circumstances and 

generate a reporting obligation. 

It is important that you engage 

with an accountant to plan for 

these events. This may involve you 

making decisions about short or 

long-term investments, reallocating 

trust distributions, etc. 

Consider if you’re at risk 

of being caught out 

The change to a levy model will 

give government and the tax 

office, a window into the activity 

undertaken by hire car and taxi 

firms. 

Those who have been underreporting 

income, such as 

through Uber or through off-thebooks 

work, may find themselves 

at risk of audit as the tax 

department considers whether 

the number of trips performed 

correlates to the income you have 

reported in the past. 

Businesses may wish to consider 

checking that their records are 

up to date and that they are 

prepared for an audit. Again, your 

accountant should be involved 

early. 

Don’t give up hope & 

Don’t sign away your 

rights 

A number of organisations, 

including the VHCA, which we 

are proud to support, have been 

investigating causes of action 

which may lead to significant 

compensation to the taxi and hire 

car industry. 

Our view is that prospects of suing 

the Victorian Government are 

very poor. However, there may be 

other avenues to achieving redress 

and we hope to announce more 

regarding this soon. 

In the interim, think very carefully 

before signing any government 

waiver, selling the entity that owns 

your licences or otherwise taking 

any steps which would preclude 

you from recovering for the 

valuable asset being removed from 

you. 

Embassy 

Cafe 

WE’re open 

WE NEVER CLOSE 

547 Spencer Street 

West Melbourne 

VISIT US FOR THE BEST BURGERS IN TOWN 


17

RIDE SHARING 

UBER 

DRIVERS 

PAY GST 

As we have come to 

expect from Uber, 

they have managed to 

find a loophole within 

the ATO regulations 

pertaining to GST on digital 

products and services as Uber is a 

foreign-based company. 

But on 1 July 2017 that all 

changed. GST is to be imposed on 

digital products and services sold 

within Australia by resident and 

non-resident suppliers. 

The ATO states that if a 

multinational corporation makes 

money in Australia, it’s only fair it 

pays tax in Australia. 

The Australian government has 

introduced new laws to close 

loopholes and ensure profits are 

taxed here. 

This means Australian businesses, 

both big and small, can stay competitive 

and more money will be 

returned to our economy, helping 

guarantee the essential services 

Australians rely on. 

Uber has advised its driverpartners 

that those who are 

• NOT GST REGISTERED are 

considered individual “nonbusiness” 

users. As such, 

Uber will be required to charge 

these driver-partners GST on 

their Uber Service Fee. 

• GST REGISTERED are 

considered “business” users. 

As such, Uber will not be 

required to charge these 

driver-partners GST on their 

Uber Service Fee. 

Uber is relying upon the driverpartner 

ABN and GST registration 

details uploaded into the 

applicable Uber partner account. 

Therefore as of 1 August if you 

drive for Uber and are 

• NOT GST REGISTERED the 

Uber Service Fee will be 22%, 

and Uber will remit the GST 

to the ATO on their driverpartner’s 

behalf. 

• GST REGISTERED the Uber 

Service Fee will remain at 

20% and you will have to complete 

your own BAS and remit 

GST on your Uber income. 

The Australian Diverted Profits 

Tax and the Multinational Anti- 

Avoidance Law, together with the 

Tax Avoidance Taskforce, will help 

ensure multinational corporations 

pay the right amount of tax. 

And so Uber will now have to 

comply with GST requirements, 

just like all other commercial 

passenger vehicles - ie taxis and 

hire cars. 

FWO 

UPDATE 

Drivers from all over Australia 

have come forward and are 

taking part in the Fair Work 

Ombudsman’s investigation 

into Uber’s working 

conditions. 

All drivers who expressed 

interest in this case will be 

contact by an FWO inspector 

in the near future. 

The investigation into Uber is 

now well under way. 

Participating drivers are 

asked to co-operate with 

and help the FWO inspectors 

reviewing the case. Drivers 

will need to provide the 

information and evidence that 

they seek in a timely manner. 

You may be owed a lot 

of money in lost wages, 

superannuation and/or leave/ 

sick pay. Stick together, 

provide the 

required 

information 

and stand 

for your 

rights! 


AUTO CARS 

WON’T STOP 

CONGESTION 


y DANIELLE MUOIO 

Self-driving cars might make your future commute a 

lot more pleasant, but they won’t eliminate traffic. 

Execs like Google cofounder Sergey Brin have touted traffic reduction as 

one of the many benefits of having self-driving cars on the road. The idea 

is that autonomous cars will eliminate accidents caused by human error, 

a major contributor to traffic. But experts say the vehicles’ impact on 

traffic will either be minimal or negative. 

Lew Fulton, a co-director at UC Davis’ 

Institute of Transportation Studies (ITP), 

told Business Insider that autonomous 

vehicles won’t fix congestion woes unless 

a pricing system is put in place that 

discourages zero-occupancy vehicles. 

“We are especially concerned about zerooccupant 

vehicles that can happen with 

automated vehicles,” Fulton said. 

“That scenario is especially plausible with 

private ownership of those vehicles and no 

limits to what we can do with them.” 

For example, many companies are 

interested in programming autonomous 

cars to run errands or pick up packages, 

but these efforts could increase traffic by 

multiplying the number of zero-occupant 

cars, or “zombie cars,” on the road, Fulton 

said. 

Massachusetts lawmakers have already 

proposed a tax on driverless vehicles to 

prevent zombie cars. The bill calls for a 

per-mile fee of at least US$0.025 (equals 

AU$0.032). Congestion could also worsen 

as companies like Lucid Motors explore 

designing self-driving vehicles around 

comfort, like installing reclining seats. 

Consumers may opt to live farther outside 

of cities if they can commute in vehicles 

that allow them to sleep and relax. But that 

sprawl increases the number of people 

travelling in and out of cities during rush 

hour, Fulton said. 

Self-driving cars can still contribute to 

congestion even if they operate as part of a 

ride-hailing network, like Uber. 

Without the cost of a driver, Fulton said 

he worries self-driving Ubers or Lyfts will 

become so cheap there will be no financial 

incentive to opt for car-sharing services 

like UberPOOL. 

“I think it’s going to take some kind of 

pricing system that discourages zerooccupant 

vehicles and also makes 

penalties for single-occupancy vehicles,” 

he said. 

Fulton isn’t alone in this line of thinking. 

Matthew Turner, an economist at Brown 

University, has studied road congestion 

and co-authored a 2011 paper titled “The 

Fundamental Law of Road Congestion.” 

Turner found that vehicle pricing structures 

have had the biggest effect on reducing 

travel time, more so than increasing public 

transit access. 

“Maybe autonomous cars will be different 

from other capacity expansions, but of the 

things we have observed so far, the only 

thing that really drives down travel times is 

pricing,” Turner told the New York Times. 

Some cities have already mobilized to 

discourage people from taking cars alone. 

States like California and Colorado have 

installed high-occupancy toll lanes that 

single-occupancy must pay a fee to use. 

That fee increases during rush hour. 

“We have to figure out systems that 

promote pairing,” Fulton said. “It really is a 

silver bullet if we can do it.” 


RUMOUR MILL 

What 

we hear 

Are these rumours, fiction or the 

truth hidden in plain sight? 

We often hear about what the 

VHCA and the VTHF associations are 

doing, what legal action they are planning. 

But what about the VTA? Are they 

supporting the Victorian taxi industry 

in any way? 

Cabcharge is in merger talks 

with Combined Communications 

Network (CCN) - Australia’s largest 

taxi booking and dispatch service 

provider. 

There is a new 

Victorian state political 

party being created - 

TRANSPORT MATTERS PARTY. 

You can join other like minded 

people and be represented 

effectively in state parliament 

decisions regarding 

Victorian transport 

issues. 

Taxi 

Services 

Commission is 

turning a blind 

eye to the fact that 

13CABS are breaking 

the law. 

13Cabs are using 

metro cars for 

country jobs! 

13Cabs are using 

unlicensed cars 

as taxis! 

Due to lack of work, the Radio 

Room at Silver Top Taxis keeps shrinking 

every month. 

If you are or know of an Uber driver/partner, by 

not providing your ABN to Uber they will have to pay the GST on 

your behalf - thus treating you like an employee. Wonder if leave 

entitlements come with this too? 

MPs continue to 

close their doors to locals 

and ignore messages from 

locals who want to discuss 

their situation in the current 

Victoria taxi and hire car 

industry mess. 

13CABS are sending 

metro licensed taxis into 

country areas to serve the DVA 

accounts instead of forwarding these 

jobs to the closest local cab depot, 

thereby “stealing” jobs from 

the country depots. 

BE PART OF THE STORY 

Melbourne 

Airport will soon be 

using eTAGS instead of 

Swipe Cards for access 

to the taxi holiding 

system. 

Join the Conversation 

DRIVE A2B loves hearing what you think 

about the magazine, your taxi owner or driver, 

your network service provider, or just taxis in 

general. 

Email DRIVE A2B at info@drivea2b.com.au or 

sms DRIVE A2B at 0400 137 866. 

Remember to include your name, address 

and phone number for authentication. 


IN THE AIR 

Volocopter 

by ANDREW J. HAWKINS 

Volocopter, a German aviation 

startup formerly known as 

E-volo, just announced that it 

inked a deal with Dubai’s Road 

and Transport Authority (RTA) 

to begin testing its 18-rotor 

multicopters as part of a flying 

taxi service later this year. 

The news further cements 

the city’s reputation as a 

testing ground for some of the 

transportation world’s more 

futuristic and outlandish ideas. 

Volocopter’s Dubai experiment 

will start in the fourth quarter 

of 2017, and is scheduled 

to last five years under the 

agreement with the RTA, said 

Alexander Zosel, co-founder of 

Volocopter, in a statement. 

“We are very grateful and 

proud that the RTA has 

selected us as their partner 

after rigorous testing,” he 

added, citing his company’s 

“stringent safety standards” 

as among the reasons his 

company was selected. 

Volocopter’s prototype VC200 

took its first crewed flight last 

year. And at Europe’s largest 

general aviation trade fair 

earlier this year, the company 

revealed its first production 

model: the 2X. 

It has a maximum range of 17 

miles (27.3 kms) when flying 

at a speed of 43 mph (69 kph). 

Its maximum flight time is 27 

minutes at an optimal cruise 

speed of 31 mph (50 kph). 

But if range were no concern, 

the 2X can fly at a maximum 

speed of 62 mph (100 kph). 

Volocopter won’t be the only 

flying taxi service buzzing 

through Dubai’s airspace. 

RTA also recently struck a 

deal with the Chinese drone 

company Ehang to test its 

single-person quadcopter as a 

transit alternative. 

Uber is also in talks with 

the emirate city to publicly 

demonstrate its own flying taxi 

service in 2020. 

And if flying through the air 

in an autonomous drone isn’t 

your bag, perhaps you’d be 

more interested in tube-based 

travel: Dubai is working with 

LA-based startup Hyperloop 

One to build the world’s first 

passenger-ready hyperloop. 


23

TRANSPORT MATTERS 

Player in 

politics 

Everyone has a right to be heard 

and you deserve to be heard. 

Rod Barton and Andre Baruch, the 

President and Vice President of 

the Victorian Hire Car Association, 

announced on 16 July 2017 at a 

meeting of taxi and hire car drivers, 

operators and licence holders, that 

they have started the process of 

forming a new political party – the 

Transport Matters Party (TMP). 

Rod Barton said, “We have chosen 

to take this action after the 

devastating way our members and 

colleagues have been treated by the 

Andrews Labor Government”. 

“It is clear not only to us, our 

families, friends and customers but 

also the Victorian public, that this is 

a Government that does not like to 

consult.” 

“The cancellation of privately 

owned property without appropriate 

compensation is unprecedented 

in Victoria. The Andrews 

Government arrogantly ignored 

the recommendations made by 

the Economy and Infrastructure 

Committee, choosing to reject 

compromise and fairness,” said Mr 

Barton. 

“They partnered with Samantha 

Dunn (Greens) and Fiona Patton 

(Sex Party) to pass flawed 

legislation that will cause much 

harm to thousands of Victorians,” 

he continued. 

The TMP will participate in the 2018 

Victorian State Election with one 

clear objective - to give back a voice 

to local communities. 

Transport impacts all aspects of 

our lives; including those who work 

in public and private transport 

networks, how we get to work, how 

our kids go to school, how we go to 

football and how we socialise. 

“Transport affects the quality of 

our lives, it shapes our cities and 

our communities. TRANSPORT 

MATTERS. You have a right, and 

you deserve to be heard,” added Mr 

Barton. 

“We are working on the regulatory 

and communication requirements 

to set up a party. We look forward 

to working with you to achieve 

better and fairer outcomes,” he 

said. 

Come join us! 

Please contact Andre Baruch 

for an application form, 

complete the form and return 

via email or mail. It’s that 

easy! 

MEMBERSHIP ONLY 

$ 

20 

E: andrebaruch.tmp@gmail.com T: 0417 898 698 PO Box 1046 Elsternwick Vic 3185 

ABN: 64 918 392 617 


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

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! 

Federal and State MPs don’t 

hold to a code of conduct 

by J Glazebrook 

Fairfax media recently reported 

that most Federal MPs don’t 

support a code of conduct that 

sets ethical standards for our 

elected “representatives”. 

If you think this is only relevant 

for Federal MPs please think 

again. 

Former judge and corruption 

fighter, Tony Fitzgerald, joined 

with Australia Institute’s think 

tank and surveyed every federal 

politician on their values as 

part of a plan to clean up 

Canberra. But only 53 of the 

226 signed up to the “Fitzgerald 

Principles”, 36 wouldn’t 

commit and 137 did not reply. 

“The refusal of a majority of 

politicians to commit publicly 

to normal standards of 

behaviour puts the need for 

an effective anti-corruption 

commission beyond doubt,” Mr 

Fitzgerald said. 

“The major parties surely 

realise that the public 

wants politicians to behave 

honourably and that the 

scandals which are causing 

Australians to lose faith in 

democracy involve their 

members.” 

Currently federal Ministers are 

required to uphold a Statement 

of Ministerial Standards that 

states “the highest standards 

of integrity and propriety”, but 

no code of conduct exists for 

other federal or state MPs. 

I have been told by several 

State MPs that ethics has 

nothing to do with their job! 

That ethics is something 

only for agencies outside the 

Victorian Parliament, such as 

the state’s Police. 

But is this another act of 

hypocrisy. Victorian councillors 

are bound by a code of 

conduct, why not our Federal 

and State MPs? 

Could it be because they will 

then be bound by principles 

that require them to tell the 

truth, to treat all citizens 

equally, and not spend money 

except in the public interest or 

use information and taxpayer’s 

money for personal benefit? 

Licences 

granted vs 

transferred 

by K Muking 

In terms of our licences, 

there’s no real difference 

between licences granted 

and licences transferred 

under s149 of the 

Transport Act. 

What is different is the 

manner in which they’re 

acquired: on one hand, 

government grants a 

licence, on the other, 

government authorises 

the sale of the licence it 

has previously granted to 

someone else. 

In terms of the latter, 

when the TSC authorises 

the transfer, it has a 

very limited scope of 

consideration. 

In our situation, the 

government isn’t 

proposing to acquire 

licences, but is proposing 

to do away with them by 

force of statute. 


TSC not committed to 

cleaning up industry 

by Sia 

I never really say much but felt I should this time. 

You recently ran an article on various coloured cars 

operating possibly as taxis. The most interesting 

thing is the TAXI SERVICES COMMISSION response. 

Oh how times have changed. 

In 2012 the General Manager of the Victorian Taxi 

Directorate, Marnie Williams, wrote a response to a 

friend of mine who had complained of many illegal 

cars working at the airport. 

I shall quote in part what she stated: 

“I can assure you that the information you have 

provided to me in recent times regarding your 

observations of vehicles operating illegally has 

been and/or is in the process of being followed 

up.................... We’d be happy to provide you some 

high level feedback on this compliance operation at 

its conclusion. We can give you a summary of what 

enforcement action was taken as part of the overall 

operation....” 

In 2017 it looks like the new broom called the TSC is 

not very committed to cleaning up the issue at all as 

shown by your article. 

By the way - great magazine and maybe an article or 

two from interstate and a joke every now and then. 

Public awareness 

campaign needed 

by F Stewart 

With regards to last month’s train system 

debacle, Minister Allan is reported as saying 

“I think their [Uber] behaviour exposed their 

approach to the way they treat people who 

use their services. Taking advantage of 

people in a difficult circumstance is not a 

way to run the business.” 

But this is exactly how Uber works. When 

the Uber app surged by up to 3.6 times the 

regular rate, the public should have wised up 

and taken a taxi or booked a hire car - these 

are certainly cheaper options when Uber is 

surge pricing. 

Perhaps what we need is for some 

marketing to be done to advise the public 

that we, too, have apps that they can book 

their taxi or hire car, watch the screen of 

their mobile phone, iPad, etc. and see the 

vehicle approach. 

It sure would give us more business and 

cost the public less in these surge pricing 

times. Why is neither 13CABS or Silver Top 

Taxis, given they are the biggest depots 

in Melbourne, taking on this marketing 

campaign? What have they got to lose? 

Industry IS a TOTAL MESS 

Very big congrats on the DriveA2B publication! This 

will cheer the Taxi Owners of Victoria up, so keep up 

the good work! 

Hon Jeff Kennett AC, in his recount of his experience 

with both the Taxi Industry and the Governments, 

led by Ted Ballieu and later Premier Andrews, by 

their actions showed that neither do they, or their 

advisors, understand nor were they willing to learn 

or consequently advise their respective Premiers, 

by John Bowe, ATIA ex-President 

that the path they were on was unfair, unwise and 

without one scintilla of sympathy for the people 

whose lives were being devastated . 

I believe that Jeff is totally correct in saying that the 

INDUSTRY IS A TOTAL MESS. My view is that the 

successive governments have no shame with regard 

to fellow Victorians who, by their collective efforts, 

have provided the necessary support to the State’s 

transport system for many, many years. 


27

Melb Airport 

CHANGES 

TO ACCESS 

FEES AT 

MELBOURNE 

AIRPORT 

Melbourne Airport will introduce a 

new e-TAG taxi operating system 

going live on 26 September 

2017 giving drivers faster, more 

convenient access into the airport. 

The e-TAG system will replace the 

current swipe card process, with 

CityLink managing all payment 

matters. To ensure drivers can 

continue to access the airport’s 

holding yards and taxi ranks, 

drivers are required to have an 

up-to-date CityLink account with a 

valid e-TAG prior to 26 September. 

The upgrade will optimise traffic 

flow inside the airport through 

an automated process. Licence 

plate recognition technology 

will recognise each taxi, while 

the Head of Rank will have more 

visual control throughout the road 

network. 

As part of the upgrade, electronic 

signage will be installed outside 

the Primary Holding Area to alert 

drivers to any accidents, alternate 

routes and emergency messages. 

This will reduce congestion inside 

the airport and improve traffic 

flow during peak travel times. 

Melbourne Airport’s access fee of 

$3.58 will remain and payments 

will still be made upon exit of the 

Primary Holding Area. 

Melbourne Airport is confirming 

the process for the repayment 

of funds left on swipe cards and 

will update drivers before the new 

system goes live. 

KEEP UP TO DATE 

via Melbourne Airport’s website 

www.melbourneairport.com.au/for-business/commercial-vehicles/ 

taxi-management-system 


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E: tonipeters@drivea2b.com.au 

Metropolitan Taxi Club 

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360 BRUNSWICK ROAD, BRUNSWICK 

DRIVERS, OPERATORS, LICENCE HOLDERS 

of Victorian Taxis or Hire Cars 

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FOR MORE INFORMATION EMAIL 

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The Victorian Taxi & Hire Car Families 

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29

Road Safety 

ROAD 

RULES 

HAVE 

CHANGED 

effective 1 July 2017 

Use of mobile phones 

(bicycles, horse riders, golf 

cart, etc) 

Riders of a bicycle, a person 

travelling in or on a wheeled 

recreational device, or the driver of 

a vehicle that is not a motor vehicle 

now have the same restrictions on 

use of mobile phones as for full 

licence holders including fines. No 

demerit points apply. 

Bus lanes 

Riding a bicycle and driving a coach 

in bus lane (unless otherwise 

signed) is now permitted. A coach 

is defined as a motor vehicle used 

to convey passengers for hire or 

reward or in the course of trade or 

business which is greater than 9•5 

metres in length (excluding any 

trailer attached to it). 

Giving way when turning at 

an intersection with lights 

Motorists must now give way to 

cyclists riding across crossings at a 

green bicycle crossing light. 

Police or other emergency 

vehicles - 

with lights and sirens on 

If a Police or other emergency 

vehicle has its red or blue lights 

flashing or its siren on, you must: 

• get out of its way 

• give way and stop if necessary, 

even if you have a green traffic 

light 


SLOW 

DOWN 

40 

Drivers must safely slow 

to 40 km/h when passing 

an emergency vehicle with 

flashing lights or sirens 

sounding. 

SLOW DOWN for these vehicles ..... 

• Police 

• Ambulance Victoria 

• Metropolitan Fire Brigade 

• VicRoads Transport Safety 

• Taxi enforcement 

• Country Fire Authority 

• Forest Fire Management Victoria 

• State Emergency Service 

You must also stop if twin red lights 

are flashing on a road (eg outside 

a fire or ambulance station). You 

can start driving again once the 

lights have stopped flashing and the 

road is clear of emergency or other 

vehicles. 

In emergencies, Police and other 

emergency vehicles are not required 

to follow the road rules. 

Passing Police or other 

emergency vehicles - 

that are stopped with 

blue and red or magenta 

flashing lights 

Motorists must slow down to a 

speed not exceeding 40 km/h, that 

would enable them to stop safely if 

necessary when approaching and 

passing enforcement, emergency or 

escort vehicles that are stationary 

or moving slowly (less than 

10km/h)*, and have either: 

• red and blue flashing lights 

• magenta (purple/pink) flashing 

lights - Transport Safety 

Services 

• an alarm sounding 

You must not increase your speed 

until a safe distance from the 

scene. A ‘safe distance’ has not 

been explicitly defined in the road 

rule because every incident will 

differ in some way. 

For example, a fire truck may be 

stationed by the roadside with 

flashing lights but the fire fighters 

may be managing a fire further up 

the road. In this instance, drivers 

should not increase their speed until 

they are fully past all emergency 

personnel. 

In contrast, a roadside vehicle 

intercept by Victoria Police will 

require drivers to slow down and 

travel at 40 km/h for a much shorter 

distance. 

The new rule means improved 

safety for emergency and 

enforcement workers who are 

performing work on the road or 

roadside, as well as others who are 

present at the scene. 

The infringement penalty for 

breaching the new road rule is 

$272.05, with the maximum court 

penalty of $777.30. No demerit 

points will apply. 


Victoria 

These statistical figures 

are as at 30 June 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 

30/6/17 

Changes 

since 

30/6/16 

Metro Conventional 4,217 4,170 -47 

WAT 443 447 4 

Total 4,660 4,617 -43 

Urban Conventional 420 418 -2 

WAT 85 80 -5 

Total 505 498 -7 

Regional Conventional 264 275 11 

WAT 72 75 3 

Assignments 

Active in June 2017 131 

Fee per month (metro) $1,500 

Number of drivers 

Active drivers 16,758 

(drivers who have recorded at 

least one shift last year) 

Accredited drivers 58,084 

(taxi, hire car & bus) 

Compliance 

outcomes 

Vehicle inspections 405 

Rectification notices 67 

Infringement notices 30 

Regulation 20 notice 32 

Official written warning notices 18 

Total 336 350 14 

Country Conventional 127 129 2 

WAT 35 35 0 

Total 162 164 2 

Totals Conventional 5,028 4,987 -36 

Area 

WAT 635 637 2 

Total 5,663 5,629 -34 

Hire Car Licences 

# of 

licences 

30/6/16 

# of 

licences 

30/6/17 

Changes 

since 

30/6/16 

Metropolitan 1,136 1,140 4 

Country 63 64 1 

Special Purpose Vehicles 966 980 14 

Restricted 610 633 123 

Totals 2,775 2,817 142 


Major 

Events 

Showcase of Melbourne’s 

upcoming major events. 

Melbourne 

International 

Film Festival 

3 - 20 August 

Forum Theatre, Melbourne 

The Melbourne International Film Festival 

(MIFF) showcases the best in current 

cinema from around the world, as well as 

retrospectives, tributes and discussion 

programs. MIFF is also Australia’s largest 

showcase of new Australian cinema, and the 

country’s most vocal champion of emerging 

and established local film-making talent. 

Melbourne Writer’s 

Festival 

25 August - 3 September 

Federation Square 

The Festival connects readers, writers and 

thinkers in a winter celebration ‘for everyone 

who reads’. It brings together hundreds of 

the best writers from Australia and around 

the world, to take part in storytelling, 

conversation, debate, live performance, music 

and art events for readers of all ages. 

Supersense: 

Festival of the Ecstatic 

18 - 20 August 

at Arts Centre Melbourne 

Created in 2015 by Arts Centre Melbourne, 

Supersense brings together a program of 

internationally revered artists and performers 

exploring contemporary and traditional 

perspectives on ecstatic experience across music, 

dance, film, visual art and design. 

The festival features an extraordinary exclusive 

program of legendary international artists 

and music pioneers exploring the sublime and 

supernatural. 



Health 

KEEPING 

WARM 

More people die from the cold in 

Australia than in Sweden 

by INES GRUBER and CHRIS BARNES 

Research from medical journal 

The Lancet, revealed that the 

cold contributed to about 3.7% 

of deaths in Sweden, but 6.7% 

(one in 15 deaths) in Australia. 

So how can relatively mild 

Australian winters result in 

more deaths than the belowzeros 

in Scandinavia? It seems 

that constant exposure to 

low temperatures increases 

not only blood pressure, but 

the risk of cardiovascular and 

respiratory diseases, as our 

heart and lungs struggle to 

warm us up. It’s an important 

reminder that keeping your 

home warm in winter is not 

just for comfort but is for your 

health’s sake too. 

Swedish homes are better 

designed to keep in the heat 

and have a cosy average 

temperature of 23 degrees, 

compared to the below 18 

degrees you can find in winter 

in an Australian weatherboard 

or Queenslander-style house. 

If you want to feel warm at home 

long term and also save money 

you need a plan that goes beyond 

beanies and ugg boots. Here are 

some practical solutions to beat 

the winter chill: 

Insulate 

It is the best way to keep the heat 

in winter in, and out in summer. 

Close up any rooms 

you don’t use and turn off the 

heating there. 

Seal up gaps and 

cracks 

If you add up all the cracks and 

gaps in an average home, it would 

be the equivalent of having a 1 

metre by 1.5 metre window open 

all the time. They can account for 

up to 15-20% of heat loss. 

Seal windows and use 

curtains 

That will not only help you to 

keep warm in winter, but cool in 

summer. Up to 40% of our heating 

energy can be lost and up to 87% 

of the heat in our homes is gained 

through the windows. 

Look for possible 

draught culprits 

Not only windows, but doors can 

be an issue. If you’re just heating 

one room or living area, close its 

doors and windows to keep in the 

heat. A simple door snake or a 

rolled up towel can also help stop 

any draughts. 

Cover the floor with 

rugs 

They act as insulation between 

your feet and the cold, hard floor. 

Reverse ceiling fans 

Most models have a reverse 

switch. It turns the blades anticlockwise 

and pushes the warm 

air from your heating system 

from the ceiling (remember, 

warm air rises) back down. 

Maintain your heaters 

Get them serviced professionally 

every few years to keep them 

running more efficiently. 


Driver Adverts 

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You will deliver a great customer experience 

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Please contact Peter or Jodie at Vermont 

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TAXIGIRL 

Women can make driving a taxi part of their career, 

support their family and lifestyle. 

Women are safer and more patient on the road. 

Women understand women. 

This is not a ride-sharing app. It is a taxi service abiding and complying with all the 

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35

Overseas News 

RUSSIA 

by ERIC AUCHARD AND ANASTASIA TETEREVLEVA 

Uber and Yandex, the 

“Google of Russia”, 

have agreed to 

combine their Russian ridesharing 

businesses, with 

Yandex the leading partner 

in a deal that extends to five 

nearby markets. 

“With this deal Yandex 

eliminates an aggressive 

competitor which, in 

the long run, will lead to 

improved monetization and 

profitability,” said Sergey 

Libin, an analyst with 

Raiffeisen Bank in Moscow. 

“It’s a good deal.” 

Uber has agreed to invest 

US$225 million (AU$285 

million) while Yandex will 

contribute US$100 million 

(AU$127 million )into a new 

joint company in which 

Yandex will own 59.3 % and 

employees will have a 4.1 %. 

In a joint statement, Yandex 

and Uber said they would 

join forces in Russia, 

Armenia, Azerbaijan, 

Belarus, Georgia and 

Kazakhstan to create a new 

company operating in 127 

cities, in a deal expected to 

close in the fourth quarter. 

Yandex Taxi Chief Executive 

Tigran Khudaverdyan will 

become the CEO of the 

combined business and 

Yandex will consolidate the 

new company’s results in 

its financial statements. 

Yandex will hold four board 

seats, with Uber holding 

three, they said. 

“There is ride-sharing 

and food delivery and 

beyond that there are also 

numerous opportunities 

in logistics that we will 

explore,” Yandex Chief 

Financial Officer Greg 

Abovsky said on an investor 

call. Abovsky added the 

combined company could 

be spun off with a separate 

stock listing in a few years. 

Uber said the merger 

did not imply a strategy 

of further retrenchment 

elsewhere. Indeed, financial 

terms of the deal make it a 

lucrative one, it said. 

Yandex and Uber compete 

in Russia with rivals 

including Fasten/Rutaxi, 

Maxim and Gett, the Israeli 

startup backed by German 

automaker Volkswagen. 


LONDON 

by AMIE TSANG 

Uber suffered a blow to its 

expansion plans in Europe 

last month after a senior 

adviser to the region’s highest 

court said that the ride-hailing 

service should have to abide 

by tough rules governing taxi 

services. 

The recommendation, a 

nonbinding opinion by an 

advocate general for the Court of 

Justice of the European Union, 

adds to an array of challenges 

that Uber is facing worldwide. 

This year alone, the company 

has grappled with a sexual 

harassment scandal and the 

resignation last month of its chief 

executive, Travis Kalanick. 

The case before the court 

hinged on whether Uber should 

be treated as a taxi service 

in France, and therefore be 

subject to rigorous safety and 

employment rules, or as a digital 

platform that merely connected 

independent drivers with 

passengers. 

The French authorities brought 

criminal proceedings last year 

against the ride-hailing service for 

infringing a law that required any 

vehicle carrying passengers for a 

fee to be licensed as a taxi service 

and to have appropriate insurance. 

Uber had argued that the law 

was also a “technical regulation” 

over digital services. That being 

the case, the company said, 

the French authorities were 

required to notify the European 

Commission, the executive arm 

of the European Union, before 

adopting the legislation. Because 

France did not do so, Uber 

contended, the law could not be 

enforced. 

The senior adviser, Maciej 

Szpunar, an advocate general 

of the court, recommended 

on Tuesday that Uber was 

effectively a taxi service. He 

wrote that France could ban 

certain types of transportation 

services it deemed illegal, 

including Uber’s low-cost service 

UberPOP, without having to notify 

the European Commission. 

“We have seen today’s statement 

and await the final ruling later 

this year,” an Uber spokeswoman 

said in a statement. She said 

that the company had stopped 

offering the services in question, 

and that it now worked only with 

professionally licensed drivers in 

France. 

The latest recommendation 

came less than two months after 

Mr. Szpunar delivered a similar 

opinion to the court, arguing that 

Uber should have to comply with 

rules governing transportation 

companies. A final ruling in 

that case is expected by late 

summer, and a decision related 

to Tuesday’s case is due by the 

end of the year. 

The court typically follows the 

recommendations of its senior 

advisers, but it could still rule in 

the company’s favour. 

“The two ways Uber sold itself 

— as a digital company and as 

a ride-sharing service — don’t 

stand up, according to this legal 

opinion,” said André Spicer, a 

professor of organisational 

behaviour at the Cass Business 

School at City University in 

London. 

When companies like Uber and 

Airbnb, the short-term rental 

company, set up, he said, “They 

skirted around national laws, 

and that was what made them 

competitive and cheap.” He 

added, “Many national regulators 

are beginning to chip away at 

that.” 

JAPAN 

A year ago Uber sold its Chinese business to Didi Chuxing in return for a 

17.5% stake in Didi and at the time this made Didi valued at $35 billion. 

Last month Didi Chuxing was valued at $50 billion. Therefore the paper value 

of Uber’s stake in Didi has risen from $6.1 billion to around $8 billion. 


37

Classifieds 

advertise 

HERE 

Only $35 for 

40 words 

Payment details are 

listed on page 3 

Wheelchair 

Accessible Taxi (WAT) 

accredited driver 

needed. 

You will deliver a great customer 

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Vermont Autogas on (03) 9874 8611. 

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Competition 

WINNERS 

Winners of July 2017 Competition for 

a double pass to The BODYGUARD The 

Musical are:- E Marcus, J Howson, 

M Bajjali, D Vassili, G Hodges 

Winners 2018 Melway 

Competition are:- 

M Faccio, R Gunasena, 

L Arachige, T Hindson, 

C Manning, K Liyanage 

Advertisers’ 

Directory 

Adams Maguire Sier Lawyers......9 

Airport Taxi Car Wash..................29 

Embassy Cafe...............................17 

Mann Lawyers...............................23 

Metropolitan Taxi Club......... 13, 29 

Navman..........................................19 

TaxiGirl............................................35 

TaxiLink.............................................2 

The Owners Association.............39 

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

Vic. Taxi & Hire Car Families.......29 

Western Union...............................40 

Yarra Finance..................................7 


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

Get a $5 BP 

gift card with 

every money 

transfer 

Start your transaction in the 

Western Union ® app or at the 

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and get a $5 BP gift card each time. 

Download the Western Union ® mobile app 

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DRIVE A2B August 2017

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