DRIVE A2B February 2021

My greatest fear is for
the safety of MPTP
passengers.
government and Uber is deemed
commercial in confidence
and lacks proper probity and
governance.
According to the Department of
Transport which oversees the
CPVV, the decision was based on
a limited trial conducted during
the height of the pandemic in the
Geelong area involving around
170 trips.
This was during a period when the
total number of trips was reduced
by up to 90%. How is the data
collected in any way reflective
of normal circumstances and
sufficient to make a judgement
call?
Uber’s predatory surge pricing
will leave many disadvantaged
people paying more; and there is
no doubt that Uber will ‘cherrypick’
jobs which will leave people
requiring vehicles with wheelchair
and other specialist equipment
waiting on the kerb.
It costs around $90,000 to put a
wheelchair capable taxi on the
road and around thousands every
year to keep it running – it’s a
specialist area requiring detailed
driver training and ongoing
compliance costs. The backdoor
deal with Uber means that for
many operators, this investment
will no longer be viable, forcing
them off the road.
In some country areas that also
means wiping out the regulated
taxi service, leaving communities
stranded.
The changes to the MPTP scheme
has also opened it up to major
rorting, as it is a requirement that
the cardholder be in the vehicle
to legitimately claim the travel
subsidy.
When using taxis, MPTP
cardholders are required to
present their card to the driver to
process the subsidy.
DRIVE A2B magazine · www.drivea2b.com.au · February 2021
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