DRIVE NOW December 2021/January 2022
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Australia's only Magazine for the Commercial Passenger Transport Industry. News and views for Drivers, Owners and Operators of Taxi, Hire Car, Limousine, Ride Share, Booked Hire Vehicles, Rank and Hail Cars.
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VICTORIA news<br />
MELBOURNE AIRPORT<br />
IN BED WITH UBER<br />
by Isobel Sparrow<br />
Uber has Melbourne Airport in<br />
their bed, as they have colluded<br />
to kick taxis from their own<br />
home. Melbourne Airport has<br />
sanctioned this rideshare giant<br />
the upper hand, as they will<br />
now have priority over taxis by<br />
surmounting the taxi rank in front<br />
of Terminal 2 and some of Terminal<br />
4. Taxis will be left to go to mainly<br />
Terminal 1. This innate decision<br />
will ultimately make it harder for<br />
those with a disability to travel to<br />
their destination by coercing them<br />
to navigate a maze of obstacles<br />
to reach wheelchair accessible<br />
vehicles.<br />
You may be wondering, but why<br />
can’t those with disabilities ride<br />
in an Uber? Well, it is simple. Uber<br />
has no disability-convivial vehicles.<br />
Sure, they have a few vehicles that<br />
may be able to hold a collapsible<br />
wheelchair or walker, but is this<br />
really good enough?<br />
Taxis are currently the only fully<br />
equipped public entity in Victoria<br />
that can house the personal needs<br />
of those with disabilities, such<br />
as issues with sight (have tactile<br />
words and reflective signage), or<br />
handling equipment like canes,<br />
walkers, and wheelchairs.<br />
The egalitarian nature of Australia<br />
is reflected in this accommodation,<br />
as these accessible cabs allow<br />
any person with a disability to<br />
be entitled to the same service<br />
as anybody else, without an<br />
additional charge. To make this<br />
service more convoluted and<br />
difficult for those with a disability<br />
to utilise contradicts our already<br />
progressive and equitable<br />
position.<br />
We should have vehicles readily<br />
available for those who need<br />
them, and Uber cannot provide<br />
this.<br />
14 <strong>December</strong> <strong>2021</strong>/<strong>January</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
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