DRIVE NOW May/June 2022

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3

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4 May/June 2022

24 

6 

40 

36 

26 

WHAT’S INSIDE 

FEATURES 

6 

14 

VICTORIA 

10 

BIG IDEA - Make self-driving cars that can go 

anywhere! 

Dumbing down a gold-standard taxi service is not 

progressive. 

26 Tribute to this magazine’s founder - Stan F. White. 

30 Industry statistics around Australia. 

Rod Barton continues to fight for our 

industry. 

QUEENSLAND 

18 

Personalised Transport Reform is now 

complete. 

WEST AUSTRALIA 

24 The Transport Levy has ended. 

25 $1.5m boost for WAV taxi services. 

NSW 

32 Transporting Veterans on ANZAC Day 2022. 

34 Farewell to Brian Wilkins. 

36 Travelling with Assistance Animals. 

OVERSEAS 

46 

47 

48 

EU backs ban on new fossil-fuel cars from 

2035. 

Traffic safety signs may be hazardous to 

your health. 

Tesla investigation deepens - >12 ‘Autopilot’ 

crashes. 



5

Make self- 

driving cars 

that can go 

anywhere! 

The 

mainstream 

approach to 

driverless 

cars is slow 

and difficult. 

These 

startups 

think going 

all-in on 

AI will get 

there faster. 

Four years ago, Alex Kendall sat in 

a car on a small road in the British 

countryside and took his hands off 

the wheel. The car, equipped with 

a few cheap cameras and a massive 

neural network, veered to the side. 

When it did, Kendall grabbed the 

wheel for a few seconds to correct 

it. The car veered again; Kendall 

corrected it. It took less than 20 

minutes for the car to learn to stay 

on the road by itself, he says. 

This was the first time that 

reinforcement learning—an AI 

technique that trains a neural 

network to perform a task via 

trial and error—had been used to 

teach a car to drive from scratch 

on a real road. It was a small step 

in a new direction—one that a new 

generation of startups believes just 

might be the breakthrough that 

makes driverless cars an everyday 

reality. 

Reinforcement learning has had 

enormous success producing 

computer programs that can 

play video games and Go with 

superhuman skill; it has even been 

used to control a nuclear fusion 

reactor. But driving was thought 

to be too complicated. “We were 

laughed at,” says Kendall, founder 

and CEO of the UK-based driverlesscar 

firm Wayve. 

Wayve now trains its cars in rushhour 

London. Last year, it showed 

that it could take a car trained 

on London streets and have it 

drive in five different cities— 

Cambridge (UK), Coventry, Leeds, 

Liverpool, and Manchester— 

without additional training. That’s 

something that industry leaders like 

Cruise and Waymo have struggled 

to do. This month Wayve announced 

it is teaming up with Microsoft to 

train its neural network on Azure, 

the tech giant’s cloud-based 

supercomputer. 

Investors have sunk more 

than $100 billion into building 

cars that can drive by 

themselves. That’s a third 

of what NASA spent getting 

humans to the moon. 

Yet despite a decade and 

a half of development and 

untold miles of road testing, 

driverless tech is stuck in the 


pilot phase. “We are seeing 

extraordinary amounts of 

spending to get very limited 

results,” says Kendall. 

That’s why Wayve and other 

autonomous-vehicle startups like 

Waabi and Ghost, both in the US, 

and Autobrains, based in Israel, 

are going all in on AI. Branding 

themselves AV2.0, they’re betting 

that smarter, cheaper tech will 

let them overtake current market 

leaders. 

HYPE MACHINES 

Wayve says it wants to be the first 

company to deploy driverless cars 

in 100 cities. But is that yet more 

hype from an industry that’s been 

getting high on its own supply for 

years? 

That mainstream approach dates 

back at least to 2007 and the 

DARPA Urban Challenge, when 

six teams of researchers managed 

to get their robotic vehicles to 

navigate a small-town mock-up on 

a disused US Air Force base. 

Waymo and Cruise launched on 

the back of that success, and 

the robotics approach taken by 

the winning teams stuck. That 

approach treats perception, 

decision-making, and vehicle 

control as different problems, 

with different modules for 

each. But this can make the 

overall system hard to build 

and maintain, with errors in one 

module bubbling over into others, 

says Urtasun. “We need an AI 

mindset, not a robotics mindset,” 

she says. 

Here's the new idea. Instead of 

building a system with multiple 

neural networks and wiring these 

together by hand, Wayve, Waabi, 

and others are each building one 

large neural network that figures 

out the details by itself. 

Throw enough data at the 

AI and it learns to convert 

input (camera or lidar data 

about the road ahead) into 

output (turning the wheel 

or hitting the brakes), much 

like a kid learning to ride a 

bike. 



7

.../continued 

Going straight from input to output 

like this is known as end-to-end 

learning, and it’s what GPT-3 did for 

natural-language processing and 

AlphaZero did for Go and chess. “In 

the last 10 years it’s caused so many 

seemingly insolvable problems to 

get solved,” says Kendall. “End-toend 

learning pushed us forward to 

superhuman capabilities. Driving 

will be no different.” 

Like Wayve, Waabi is using end-toend 

learning. It isn’t (yet) using real 

vehicles, however. 

It is developing its AI almost fully 

inside a super-realistic driving 

simulation, itself controlled by 

an AI driving instructor. Ghost 

also adopts an AI-first approach, 

building driverless tech that not 

only navigates roads but learns to 

react to other drivers. 

200,000 

SMALL 

PROBLEMS 

Autobrains is betting on an 

end-to-end approach too, but 

does something different with it. 

Instead of training one large neural 

network to handle everything a 

car might encounter, it is training 

many smaller networks—hundreds 

of thousands, in fact—to handle a 

very specific scenario each. 

“We’re translating the hard 

AV problem into hundreds of 

thousands of smaller AI problems,” 

says Igal Raichelgauz, the 

company’s CEO. Using one large 

model makes the problem more 

complex than it actually is, he says: 

“When I’m driving, I’m not trying to 

understand every pixel on the road. 

It’s about extracting contextual 

cues.” 

Autobrains takes the sensor data 

from a car and runs it through an 

AI that matches the scene to one 

of many possible scenarios: rain, 

pedestrian crossing, traffic light, 

bicycle turning right, car behind, 

and so on. 

By watching a million miles 

of driving data, Autobrains 

says its AI has identified 

around 200,000 unique 

scenarios, and the company 

is training individual neural 

networks to handle each of 

them. 

The firm has been partnering 

with car manufacturers to test its 

technology and has just got hold of 

a small fleet of its own vehicles. 

Kendall thinks that what 

Autobrains is doing might work 

well for advanced driver-assist 

systems, but he does not see it 

having an advantage over his own 

approach. “When tackling the full 

self-driving problem, I’d expect that 

they would be just as challenged 

by the complexity faced in the real 

world,” he says. 

CRUISE CONTROL 

Either way, should we count on this 

new wave of firms to chase down 

the front-runners? Unsurprisingly, 

Mo ElShenawy, executive vice 

president of engineering at Cruise, 

isn’t convinced. 

“There is way too much overselling in this field,” 

says Raquel Urtasun, who led Uber’s self-driving 

team for four years before leaving to found 

Waabi in 2021. 

“There’s also a lack of acknowledgment of how 

difficult the task is in the first place. But I don’t 

believe that the mainstream approach to selfdriving 

is going to get us to where we need to 

be to deploy the technology safely.” 

Cruise is one of the most advanced 

driverless-car firms in the world. 

Since November it has been 

running a live robotaxi service in 

San Francisco. Its vehicles operate 

in a limited area, but anyone can 

now hail a car with the Cruise app 

and have it pull up to the curb 

with nobody inside. “We see a real 

spectrum of reactions from our 

customers,” says ElShenawy. “It’s 

super exciting.” 


Cruise has built a vast virtual 

factory to support its software, 

with hundreds of engineers 

working on different parts of the 

pipeline. ElShenawy argues that 

the mainstream modular approach 

is an advantage because it lets the 

company swap in new tech as it 

comes along. 

But before Cruise drives in a new 

city, it first has to map its streets 

in centimeter-level detail. Most 

driverless car companies use these 

kinds of high-definition 3D maps. 

They provide extra information 

to the vehicle on top of the raw 

sensor data it gets on the go, 

typically including hints like the 

location of lane boundaries and 

traffic lights, or whether there are 

curbs on a particular stretch of 

street. 

Many driverless-car companies use 

HD maps created and maintained 

by specialist firms, but Cruise 

makes its own. “We can re-create 

cities—all the driving conditions, 

street layouts, and everything,” 

says ElShenawy. 

This gives Cruise an edge against 

mainstream competitors, but 

newcomers like Wayve and 

Autobrains have ditched HD maps 

entirely. 

Wayve’s cars have GPS, but they 

otherwise learn to read the road 

using sensor data alone. It may be 

harder, but it means they are not 

tied to a particular location. 

For Kendall, this is the key to 

making driverless cars widespread. 

“We are going to be slower to get 

into our first city,” he says. “But 

once we get to one city, we can just 

scale everywhere.” 

For all the talk, there’s a long way 

to go. While Cruise’s robotaxis are 

driving paying customers around 

San Francisco, Wayve—the most 

advanced of the new crop—has 

yet to test its cars without a safety 

driver. Waabi doesn’t even use real 

cars. 

“If everybody goes in the same direction 

and it’s the wrong direction, we’re 

not going to solve this problem,” says 

Raquel Urtasun. “We need a diversity of 

approaches, because we haven’t seen the 

solution yet.” 

Still, these new AV2.0 firms have 

recent history on their side: endto-end 

learning rewrote the rules 

of what’s possible in computer 

vision and natural-language 

processing. So their confidence is 

not misplaced. 

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9

VIC News 

Rod Barton 

continues to 

FIGHT FOR OUR 

INDUSTRY 

The State Taxation and Treasury Legislation 

Amendment Bill 2022 introduced a motor 

vehicle exemption for wheelchair-accessible 

commercial passenger vehicles, saving 

operators $3,000 off their next vehicle as of July 

1, 2022. 

These vehicles are crucial in our community 

and are relied upon by thousands of Victorians 

living with a disability – making this transition a 

big win for essential Wheelchair Accessible Taxi 

(WAT) vehicles in our State. 

Yes, these vehicles are costly and, in many 

cases, financially nonviable; we know this 

because taxi drivers and operators have been 

begging for assistance to keep this essential 

service on our roads. Unfortunately, the running 

of this service has relied heavily on crosssubsidisation, 

which means that an operator can 

only provide a WAT service if subsidised by more 

profitable work like a standard taxi sedan. 

Rod Barton MLC 

Leader, Transport Matters Party 

This exemption is the result of me advocating 

directly with the Treasurer. Not only does it 


VICTORIA news 

I am still fighting for further transition 

payments for licence holders, an 

increase in taxi fares and reviewed 

regulations that will ensure a sustainable 

pathway forward and a true level playing 

field within our industry. 

acknowledge the importance 

of our WATs and their essential 

role in our community, but it 

supports and provides value to the 

passengers utilising them. 

There are, however, requirements 

for this exemption - the vehicles 

must meet the requirements to 

provide unbooked work and must 

be less than two years old. 

Rideshare Vehicle ID 

A lack of identification 

requirements for rideshare 

vehicles has left the industry 

wide open for predators to take 

advantage. 

We have seen this recently, with 

a man sentenced this month after 

pretending to be an Uber driver and 

sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl. 

The only requirement for a 

rideshare driver to identify their 

vehicle is to have a small sticker 

on the corner of their front 

windscreen, which can be easily 

copied and removed. 

Yes, the app provides the vehicle 

driving number plate, but this 

solely relies on the passenger 

ordering the rideshare to crosscheck 

the number plate before 

entering the vehicle. The reality 

is many drunk and vulnerable 

individuals will call a rideshare 

vehicle and will simply not doublecheck 

the number plate. 

If the regulator thinks this 

is enough to safeguard the 

community, they’re kidding 

themselves. 

This was not an issue before 

the reforms of 2017 – taxis are 

required to have permanent 

branding on their vehicles where 

passengers can easily identify 

them, in addition to the tamperproof, 

permanent camera in their 

vehicle that police officials and the 

regulator can only access. 

A rideshare vehicle provides the 

same service as a taxi, transports 

passengers in return for payment 

of a fare, so why are they not 

forced to comply with the same 

stringent safety regulations that 

apply to taxi vehicles? 

How many more sexual assaults 

have to occur before the 

regulators, Transport Safety 

Victoria and Commercial 

Passenger Vehicles Victoria take 

action? 

I have urged the Minister to instruct Transport 

Safety Victoria to review the rideshare vehicle 

identification requirements focussing strongly 

on eliminating the ease of predators pretending 

to be rideshare drivers – stay tuned for more. 

Rod Barton MP 



11

Rod Barton continues to fight for our industry .../continued 

Recently, the New South Wales 

government announced a new 

toll rebate scheme to alleviate 

the rising cost of living. 

NSW Drivers will receive 

a 40 per cent cash rebate 

on charges over the $375 

per annum threshold 

with rebates capped at 

$750 per annum. 

In parliament, I asked the 

Treasurer if the Andrews 

government would follow in the 

footsteps of NSW and alleviate 

the cost of living and provide 

some toll relief to Victorian 

drivers. I am awaiting his reply. 

Utes in Victoria are considered 

light commercial vehicles and 

charged a commercial rate for 

toll road usage whereas Range 

Rovers and 11-seat people 

movers which are heavier and 

larger, pay the same rate as a 

standard car. 

We know utes are popular 

vehicles among families, tradies 

and drivers who tow – I pleaded 

that the government considers 

advocating with Transurban to 

bring Victoria in line with the 

New South Wales tolling system, 

to alleviate this unnecessary cost 

to tens of thousands of families 

who drive utes across the state. 

I will provide further updates 

on both matters once I have 

received responses. 

Powered by LIMOMATE 

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fares for Uber with little reward? Are you tired of delivering 

dozens of parcels a day? Do you want to do 5-6 jobs a day 

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Permanent driving positions now available in the 

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We’d love to hear from you. 

Call 9462 8222 and say G’day. 


I know what it is like to have 

your struggles, experiences 

and opinions ignored. That 

is why I came to Parliament 

to fight for our community, 

accountability, and fairness. 

ROD BARTON MP 

COMMUNITY DRIVEN, FAIRNESS FOCUSED 

Phone: (03) 9850 8600 

Email: rod.barton@parliament.vic.gov.au 

www.rodbarton.com.au 



RodBartonMP 

13

POINT BY POINT 

Dumbing down a 

GOLD-STANDARD 

TAXI SERVICE 

IS NOT PROGRESSIVE 

by Perry Richardson | taxi-point.co.uk 

LONDON - A recent think tank report which called 

for the Knowledge of London (KOL) to be scrapped 

and minicabs to be allowed to pick up the public from 

the streets plying-for-hire caused a brief kerfuffle 

throughout the media and industry. 

The new report called ‘A Fare Shake: Reforming Taxis 

for the 21st Century’, was published by the Adam 

Smith Institute (ASI). It argued that the Government 

should move to overhaul current taxi legislation, 

creating a more ‘dynamic sector’ to better serve the 

requirements of the public. 

In short, the report recommended SIX key policies. 

These included: 

• Remove duplication and regressive licensing 

by creating a single, standard licensing regime, 

enforced by a national licensing authority. 

• Abolish the KOL tests which the report says have 

become unnecessary due to GPS and digital 

maps. 

• Permit minicabs to be hailed from the pavement 

and allow all licenced operators to use bus lanes. 

• Support more Paratransit Light Vehicles. These 

are higher capacity vehicles which run regular 

services along high-demand routes and which can 

be summoned by a customer. 

• Allow drivers to claim the cost of passengerfacing 

CCTV back against tax and encourage the 

use of online safety kits to improve standards of 

safety. 

• Offer incentives for taxi and PHV drivers to switch 

to greener vehicles. 

Maxwell Marlow, report author and Development and 

Research Officer at the Adam Smith Institute, said: 

“Britain operates critical services on last millennium’s 

laws. It’s time to put the brakes on special interests, 

who inflate costs and gate-keep with the antiquated 

and defunct ‘Knowledge’, and give consumers more 

choice. 

“We need to simplify our licensing system, making 

it more fair and transparent, whilst ensuring that 

our fleets are greener, safer, and more efficient than 

before. The report contains a myriad of policies to 

give Britons the freedom to travel that they deserve, 

turbocharge the economy and relieve the cost-ofliving 

crisis for many along the way.” 


So, what was the response? 

Given the media attention with headlines about 

scrapping the KOL, many within the taxi industry 

have had to go through all the reasons why two tierlicensing 

works. 

Steve McNamara, LTDA General Secretary, said in 

TAXI Newspaper: “It goes without saying that the last 

thing any of the big apps want is any more rules, regs’ 

or requirements and are doing all they can to bring 

political pressure and gain support from politicians of 

all parties and locations. 

“Rather cleverly, their press releases referenced 

‘scrapping the Knowledge’ which secured them some 

great media coverage. I then spent the day doing 

interviews, countering the ASI’s calls for a race to the 

bottom and championing the KOL, our safety record, 

green credentials, and professionalism. 

“The report is going nowhere.” 

POINT BY POINT 

So, was the whole report a waste of time? Many 

would say so, but there were some talking points that 

are currently in the process of change or are still hotly 

contested. Here we’ll go through some of those in 

more detail. 

‘Remove duplication and regressive licensing 

by creating a single, standard licensing 

regime, enforced by a national licencing 

authority.’ 

The taxi and PHV sector has long argued for better 

and more up to date Best Practice Guidance. That ball 

is however rolling after the Government opened up a 

12-week consultation to update guidance supplied to 

local authorities to better cope with new digital ways 

of working following the boom in ride-hailing services. 

The Department for Transport (DfT) first issued best 

practice guidance to licensing authorities in 2006 and 

this was refreshed in 2010. 



15

Dumbing down a gold-standard Taxi Service IS NOT PROGRESSIVE .../continued 

It is recognised that much has changed in the industry 

and the time has come to update the guidance 

to ensure it reflects new ways of working, new 

technology and feedback from interested parties. 

Over 270 licensing authorities follow these guidelines. 

Changes around window tinting, taxi identification, 

vehicle age limits, enhanced driving tests and ending 

topographical tests for PHV drivers are all likely to 

feature heavily throughout the consolation. 

‘Abolish the KOL tests which the report says 

has become unnecessary due to GPS and 

digital maps.’ 

The report focuses heavily on London with regards 

to scrapping the topographical testing, but this 

argument could transfer to any licensing authority. 

Any taxi driver will tell you, myself included, that 

the KOL is vital if you want to provide the very best 

service to passengers that you can. Surely there are 

few jobs in the world where having less knowledge in 

your profession is better for the customer after all. 

GPS is a fantastic tool if you don’t know a city. It will 

get you from A-B in some form or another. Will it 

however take you the best route? Will the journey be 

safer with a driver constantly checking a small screen 

rather than the road ahead? 

GPS serves a purpose when looking for road closures, 

but very rarely does it provide the quickest journey 

in the experience of London cabbies where there are 

multiple road options available. If you’re heading east 

to west through a city, then it’s likely that everyone 

following a sat-nav doing that same journey is looking 

at that exact same route as you are. If everyone is 

on that same route... how is it ever going to be the 

quickest? 

Knowing a city inside out, can mean taxi drivers can 

react instinctively. Something technology has yet to 

achieve. 

When picking up passengers who hail taxis down 

it’s also important that you pick up and go. 

Spending time keying in the destination on a satnav 

whilst traffic forms behind isn’t progressive, is 

it? What if the internet connection is slow or nonexistent, 

what does the driver do then with no road 

knowledge? 

London and other licensing authorities that hold 

detailed topographical tests should be proud of 

the level of professionalism and knowledge their 

drivers offer visitors and residents. Dumbing down 

is not progressive. 

‘Permit minicabs to be hailed from the 

pavement and allow all licenced operators to 

use bus lanes.’ 

A minicab must be pre-booked so they can prepare 

for the journey. That might involve looking at a map 

to work out a route, calling ahead to arrange a safe 

pick-up area or offering a price based on the route 

they plan to use. 

With advanced knowledge of the area, taxi drivers 

are trained and ready to be hailed down, know 

the destination straight away and are off within 

seconds. The public are guaranteed an expected 

level of service based on the strict standards put on 

taxi drivers and the vehicles they drive. 

All taxis in the capital are wheelchair accessible 

vehicles (WAV). This requires curb side access to 

use the ramps and onboard those with disabilities 

safely. There could be a glimmer of an argument 

that minicab WAVs could also be afforded similar 

access, but due to the pre-booking nature of their 

work operators can communicate prior to pick-up 

where a safe location away from bus lanes might 

be. It’s also worth noting that due to the cost of the 

vehicles only 1% of PHV in the capital are registered 

as WAVs. 


‘Support more Paratransit Light Vehicles. 

These are higher capacity vehicles which run 

regular services along high-demand routes 

and which can be summoned by a customer.’ 

This is a slightly odd inclusion within the report. These 

on-demand bus services are neither a taxi or PHV and 

have been trialled extensively already in London and 

across the country. Sadly demand for these services 

have been low and many pulled. 

In 2018 Transport for London (TfL) helped fund and 

promote the GoSutton 'on-demand' bus trial for 

12- months. Using mobile and predictive technology, 

GoSutton aimed to find out whether flexible demand 

responsive transport services can play a role in 

boosting public transport use. A year later the service 

was scrapped. 

‘Offer incentives for taxi and PHV drivers to 

switch to greener vehicles.’ 

The Department for Transport (DfT) recently 

reaffirmed their Electric Vehicle (EV) support by 

detailing the different grants available to help 

businesses and taxi drivers shift to EV. 

Taxi drivers can still claim up to £7,500 off the purchase 

price of a new electric taxi, however the plug-in car 

grant has now been dropped for the general motorist. 

‘Allow drivers to claim the cost of passengerfacing 

CCTV back against tax and encourage 

the use of online safety kits to improve 

standards of safety.’ 

After a recent consultation in 2021 it was decided that 

taxi and minicab owners can choose whether to install 

in-vehicle CCTV in their vehicles. 

In-vehicle CCTV does not include external/road facing 

cameras such as dashcams. Research from 2021 shows 

that in London, less than 10% of taxi and PHV drivers 

have in-vehicle CCTV installed in their vehicle. 

CCTV remains a choice as to whether individuals invest 

in the equipment. This can already be claimed back as a 

business expense. 

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17

NEW SOUTH WALES news 

QLD News 

Personalised 

Transport 

Reform 

IS NOW COMPLETE 

Over the last five years, 

Queensland’s personalised 

transport industry has undergone 

a lot of change. In 2016, 

Queensland’s Personalised 

Transport Horizon: Five Year 

Plan for Personalised Transport 

Services 2016-2021 introduced 

major reforms which were 

delivered over three stages and 

aimed to: 

• strengthen safety standards 

• provide customers with 

greater choice and flexibility 

• drive innovation and improve 

safety standards by reducing 

red tape 

• ensure accountability and 

clearly defined obligations. 

Stage 1 (Sept to Nov 2016) 

Immediate reforms were 

introduced, which legalised ridebooking 

and provided the industry 

with the flexibility to respond to 

increased competition. 

Stage 2 (Dec 2016 to Jan 2018) 

The new framework was 

introduced, involving 

comprehensive changes to 

primary legislation to introduce a 

new licensing regime and chain of 

responsibility for taxi and booked 

hire services. 

Stage 3 (Jan 2018 to 2021) 

Monitoring, reviewing and 

evaluation of the new framework. 

Evaluation findings 

The evaluation has identified that 

the personalised transport reforms 

have delivered significant benefits 

in safety, choice and flexibility, 

and provide a sound foundation 

from which to respond to the new 

challenges that have arisen for the 

industry due to COVID-19. 

The evaluation has also 

identified opportunities for the 

Department of Transport and 

Main Roads (TMR) to review a 

number of issues arising within 

the framework to ensure that 

it continues to deliver the best 

outcomes for customers and 

industry. These include: 

• Investigating fatigue 

management practices, 

• Reviewing the taxi licence 

framework to ensure it is 

supporting the taxi industry 

to compete effectively, in 

response to concerns arising 

about the impacts of the 

reforms on taxi service licence 

holders and on the long-term 

viability of taxi services, 

• Elements of vehicle 

identification requirements, 

such as misleading number 

plates and the requirement to 

display multiple booked hire 

identification signs. 

TMR says that it will deliver the 

recommendations in the review 

as well as continue to monitor the 

personalised transport industry 

framework as part of its ongoing 

role as an industry regulator and 

take steps when necessary to 

address issues that arise. 


QUEENSLAND news 

TMR believes that Queensland's personalised transport industry framework (PTIF) has adapted to technological 

change and is delivering effective services for customers that achieve the objectives of the reforms. Therefore, 

no significant changes to the PTIF are currently proposed. TMR will continue to monitor the PTIF and act where 

necessary. In addition, a number of emerging issues have been identified, which will be reviewed to ensure the 

PTIF continues to deliver safe and positive outcomes for customers, industry and the community. These include: 

Safety standards 

• Undertake chain of 

responsibility audits to 

ensure compliance with key 

safety duties and gain further 

insight into any areas of noncompliance. 

• Complete a detailed review 

of the evidence relating 

to driver fatigue in the 

personalised transport 

industry to investigate the 

effectiveness of the current 

regulatory and operational 

approaches and identify 

whether it is necessary to 

impose additional regulatory 

requirements. 

• Complete a review of the 

Secure Rank Program to 

assess whether it is effectively 

delivering improved safety 

outcomes that support the 

delivery costs. 

• Review the relevance of 

the security camera risk 

framework for limousines on 

the basis of the insignificant 

number of safety incidents 

reported in limousines. 

• Investigate concerns 

about vehicle identification 

requirements by considering 

banning potentially 

misleading number plates; 

and engaging with industry 

to consider issues with 

displaying multiple booked 

hire identification signs. 

Choice and flexibility 

• Continue to work with the 

personalised transport 

industry to respond to 

COVID19; 

• Review the taxi licensing 

framework to ensure it is 

supporting the taxi industry's 

ability to compete effectively 

within the personalised 

transport industry as it 

recovers from COVID-19. 

• Consider the expansion of 

the Taxi Subsidy Scheme 

to include the provision of 

services by personalised 

transport operators other 

than taxis. 

Innovation and 

customer service 

• Engage with industry 

stakeholders to understand 

current plans to transition 

towards lower emission 

vehicles. 

Industry engagement 

• Establish a new personalised 

transport industry reference 

group to share best practice 

and work collaboratively to 

consider solutions to common 

issues affecting the industry. 

• Continue to monitor attitudes 

to the personalised transport 

framework through annual 

industry and customer 

surveys. 

Online Australian 

Training 

Courses 

www.drvrtraining.com.au 

Limousine, Taxi, Hire Car, Ride Share 

Fatigue Management 

23 Lessons | $49.00 

Limousine, Taxi, Hire Car, Ride Share 

COVID-19 Hygiene Awareness 

for Transport Drivers 

22 Lessons | $ FREE 



19

HEALTH NEWS 

Cabbies give a shoulder 

to cry on - but where’s 

their mental health 

training? 

By Yara Murray-Atfield 

It’s easy for Paul Brooks to tell if 

the passenger jumping into the 

back of his taxi is up for a chat. 

The veteran driver starts by 

offering different routes to get 

to the destination, which he says 

breaks the ice. 

“That’s when they tend to start 

getting a bit chatty,” he says. 

Mr Brooks has been driving in 

Melbourne for about 27 years, 

almost always on the night shift. 

“Once the sun goes down, and 

the closer you get to midnight 

and the alcohol’s flowing, people 

tend to turn out a bit differently 

after a few beers,” he says. 

Often, the journeys end in a 

funny story. There was the time 

a young couple were discussing 

chucking a sickie and skipping 

work the next day, when Mr 

Brooks realised he knew the 

woman’s boss and told her “you 

probably should go to work 

tomorrow”. 

If he had to put a figure on it, 

he’d say about 20 per cent of his 

passengers open up and share 

parts of their lives from the back 

seat. 

“Sometimes when they get in, 

they say ‘just drive, get me out of 

here’,” he says. 

“That normally leads to a longer 

conversation.” 

Paul Brooks sits in the front of 

his taxi. He jokingly dubs this 

part of his work “free therapy”. 

But the 50-year-old says there’s a 

more confronting side to the job. 

He’s one of the drivers registered 

to pick up people to remove 

them from domestic violence 

situations. 

“And you’ll take a single person 

or a mother with a couple of kids, 

and they’ll try and get as much 

Paul Brooks has been driving taxis 

for more than half his life. 

(photo supplied: Barry Mole) 

of their luggage and belongings 

in the boot, and you’ll drive them 

from one side of town to the 

other, or somewhere else,” he 

says. 

As someone who witnessed 

domestic violence as a child, it 

can sometimes hit close to home. 


He admits there have been times 

he’s left a job, driven around the 

corner and shed a tear. 

Like most drivers, Mr Brooks 

has no formal training in mental 

health first aid, or how to deal 

with vicarious trauma. But 

he often finds himself on the 

frontline. 

On a recent job, he picked up 

a woman he believed was a 

mother. He says they stopped 

at a service station for her to 

buy a bottle of water and it then 

became clear she went to the 

bathroom to use drugs. 

“You pick up fares like that, and I 

tend to think about it for the rest 

of the night,” he says. 

As he talks, it’s clear he often 

finds himself thinking about 

the barriers for people on the 

margins of society to access 

help. 

“I don’t know what the solution 

is,” he says. 

Vicarious trauma is just 

part of the job for some 

workers 

The Commonwealth’s Australian 

Institute of Health and 

Welfare suggests about one 

in five Australian adults has 

experienced a mental disorder in 

the past 12 months. 

The data indicates about half 

of Australians will experience 

a mental disorder over their 

lifetimes, with the institute 

noting “a person does not need 

to meet the criteria for a mental 

illness or mental disorder to 

be negatively affected by their 

mental health”. 

Psychiatry professor Andrea 

Phelps is the deputy director of 

the Phoenix Australia Centre for 

Post traumatic Mental Health at 

the University of Melbourne. 

The centre speaks to a range of 

people for mental health training 

and research. Many are involved 

in traditionally frontline jobs like 

defence or have experienced 

natural disasters. 

Others work in industries where 

trauma may not be front of mind. 



21

Professor Phelps says often, 

those workers have never 

thought about the impact 

interacting with distressed, 

traumatised or abusive people 

at work was having on them. 

“They’ve just accepted that 

there are difficult calls that they 

have to take sometimes, and 

that kind of thing,” Professor 

Phelps says. 

Exposure to other people 

who are experiencing difficult 

situations can cause vicarious or 

second-hand trauma. 

“We’re not just talking about 

feeling empathy for someone, 

we’re talking about people who 

actually then suffer themselves, 

as a result of having supported 

someone else,” Professor 

Phelps says. 

“And then that’s obviously 

something that we need to try 

and avoid.” 

The ‘three d***head 

rule’ and other coping 

strategies 

Professor Phelps says there are 

broadly three ways vicarious 

trauma can present — feelings 

of psychological distress or 

helplessness, intrusive thoughts 

and/or physical symptoms like 

tension and increased heart 

rates. 

Longer-term, people 

experiencing vicarious trauma 

can feel perpetually on edge, 

have disturbed sleep and begin 

to withdraw socially. Some 

people use drugs or alcohol to 

cope. 

Paul Brooks has heard more 

about the lives of strangers than 

most, and thinks his colleagues 

could have a bigger role to play 

in providing help. 

But for more training or even 

flyers for referral services, he 

says drivers would need to be 

paid more. He is pragmatic 

when he concedes higher pay is 

“a whole other can of worms” 

that is unlikely to happen. 

“People know cab drivers are 

there,” he says. 

“But it’s really weird, they never 

really take enough attention. 

“If we trained our cab 

drivers a little better 

than we do, I personally 

believe the streets 

would be a hell of a lot 

safer,” says Paul. 

Original article can be found at 

www.abc.net.au 

Family and 

domestic 

violence 

support 

services 

Immediate Help 

call emergency services 

000 

1800 Respect 

National Helpline 

1800 737 732 

Women's Crisis Line 

1800 811 811 

Men's Referral Service 

1300 766 491 

Mensline 

1300 789 978 

Lifeline 

131 114 


MAY/JUNE 2022 - EDITION 54 

PICK UP YOUR OWN COPY 

EVERY MONTH FROM THESE BUSINESSES 

National 

Magazine 

VIC 

Taxis, Hire Cars, 

Wedding Cars, 

Limousines 

Ascot Vale 

Westbourne 

Motors 

Ballarat 

Ballarat Taxis, 

Crown Cabs, 

Transport Security 

Cameras 

Bendigo 

Bendigo Taxis 

Brunswick East 

Platinum Taxis 

Campbellfield 

Taxi Hire Services 

Clayton South 

Schmidt Elec. 

Labs 

Clifton Hill 

SilverComm 

Coburg North 

Silver North Taxi 

Management 

Collingwood 

Silver Top Taxis 

Doncaster 

Rod Barton, MP 

Fitzroy 

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Group 

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Network 

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Avalon Airport 

Arrivals Terminal 

Owners, Drivers, 

Partners, Operators 

Suppliers, Networks, 

Booking Service 

Providers 

Mildura 

Mildura Taxis, 

Crown Cabs, 


Cameras 

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13cabs, 

Alex Taxis, 

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Oiii, 

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Management 

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Cabs, 

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Cafe, 

Taxi Hire Services, 


Cameras 

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QLD 

Albion 

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Archerfield 

Transport Security Cameras, 

SLYYK Premium Transport 

Service 

Brisbane Airport 

Black & White Cabs 

Kelvin Grove 

KG Taxi Management 

Marcoola 

Suncoast Cabs 

Maryborough 


Mermaid Waters 

13cabs Gold Coast 

Southport 


Salisbury 

Occhi's Business Class Taxis, 

Crown Cabs 

Toowoomba 


Virginia 

QLD Limo Action Group, 

Transport Security Cameras 

Wooloongabba 

13cabs Brisbane 

SA 

Adelaide Airport 

13cabs - Adelaide 

Mile End 

Adelaide Independent 

Taxis 

Wayville 

Equity Transport 

Kilburn 

Suburban Taxis 

Mile End South 

Taxi Council of SA 


WA 

NSW 

Alexandria 

13cabs, 

NSW Taxi Council 

Arncliffe 

Sanitisation 

Station 

Bankstown 

Mikhael & Co 

Mech Repairs 

Cromer 

Manly Warringah 

Cabs 

Granville 

Premier Cabs 

Dubbo 

Dubbo Bus Lines 

Kingsgrove 

St George Cabs 

Leumeah 

Sanitisation 

Station 

Mascot 

RSL Cabs, 

GM Cabs 

Victoria Park 

Swan Taxis Pty Ltd 

Belmont 


13cabs 

Greenfields 

Mandurah Taxis 

Osborne Park 

Nova Communications 

Perth Airport 

Perth Airport Taxi Rank 

Wangara 


Cameras 

Mayfield West 

13cabs 

Newscastle 

13cabs 

North Parramatta 

Sanitisation 

Station 

Padstow 

Black & White 

Cabs 

Prestons 

13cabs, Taxi Tech 

Seven Hills 

Sanitisation 

Station 

Tamworth 

Sanitisation 

Station 

Wagga Wagga 

Wagga Taxis 

West Gosford 

Central Coast 

Taxis 

Wolli Creek 

Legion Cabs 

Wollongong 

lllawarra Taxis 

ACT 

Aerial Taxis 

Canberra Cabs 

Canberra Elite Taxis 

TAS 

131008 Hobart 

Taxi Combined 

Services 

NT 

13cabs Alice 

Springs 

Casuarina Blue Taxis 

Darwin Radio Taxi 

23

WA News 

Transport Levy 

HAS ENDED 

The WA Government ended the 

On-demand Passenger Transport 

Levy (the Levy) on Wednesday 1 

June 2022 – 11 months earlier than 

planned. 

The Levy began on 1 April 2019 and 

was established to recover the 

costs of the $120 million Taxi Plate 

Buyback Scheme. A further $9 

million was added to this amount in 

April 2020 as part of COVID-19 relief 

measures. 

The exact amount recovered by the 

Levy will not be known until all levy 

returns have been submitted and 

finalised later this year. 

What does this mean for 

ODBSs? 

The repeal of the Levy will only 

impact On-Demand Booking 

Services (ODBSs) providing leviable 

services in the Perth Metropolitan, 

Murray and Peel districts. 

Affected ODBSs need to ensure 

their fare schedules, fare 

calculation devices (meters), 

and receipts are up to date – any 

changes that were previously made 

to accommodate the Levy are now 

no longer required or lawful. 

ODBSs are liable to pay Levy on 

affected bookings taken on or 

before Tuesday 31 May 2022, even if 

the trip occurs after this date. Any 

bookings taken after this date are 

not subject to the Levy. 


$1.5M BOOST FOR 

WESTERN AUSTRALIA news 

WAV taxi services 

Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) taxi services 

across Western Australia are set to expand, following 

a $1.5 million McGowan Government investment in 

the upcoming 2022-23 State Budget, including a new 

Regional WAV Taxi Service Grant Scheme. 

The scheme will provide financial support to 

encourage the establishment of WAV taxi services 

in regional towns such as Broome, Denmark and 

Esperance and support WAV taxi services in other 

towns to meet demand or ensure continuity of 

service. 

An annual allocation of $115,000 through the 

scheme will increase the existing WAV Modification 

Grants from $15,000 to $20,000 to support the 

costs of installing wheelchair hoists and associated 

modifications. 

wheelchair-accessible taxis. 

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said, “We know taxi 

services play an important role in providing a level 

of independence to many in our community and are 

aware that there is currently unmet demand in some 

regions”. 

“This new scheme offers long-term grant incentives 

to ease the cost burden for new operators to start 

servicing the areas where they're needed the most, 

as well as ensuring the viability of existing service 

providers.” 

The Regional WAV Taxi Service Grant Scheme is a new 

initiative offering two tiers of financial support from 

an annual funding pool of $260,000. 

Grants of $65,000 from the pool will support the 

establishment of new WAV taxi services in towns 

where none exist. Grants of $45,000 will support 

existing WAV taxi service providers to replace an 

ageing WAV taxi or purchase an additional WAV taxi to 

meet demand. 

The grants will offset costs, including vehicle 

purchase, modification and fit-out, vehicle licensing, 

inspections and on-demand transport authorisations. 

In addition, the new scheme supports other accessible 

transport initiatives, including the Taxi User Subsidy 

Scheme, which provides co-payments to drivers of 



25


Tribute 

to this magazine’s 

Founder 

STAN F. WHITE 

8 July 1935 - 5 June 2022 

‘Stan the Man’ was the founder of Taxi Talk 

magazine, a Bookie, and an entrepreneur. He was 

bigger than life, loved to tell a tale, share a drink 

and was a true gentleman right up until the end. 

Stan White lived a very full life. 

He could come across as quite 

intimidating, loud and over 

bearing – but deep down, he had 

a big heart of gold. He strove for 

perfection in everything he did – 

he always said, “If a job is worth 

doing at all – it is worth doing 

well”. 

He was born in Quandialla, NSW 

and then lived in Young, NSW for 

his first twenty-ish years. Then, 

he moved to Sydney to look for 

that elusive “great job” and lived 

in a small apartment alongside the 

railway while working as a clerk 

for a greyhound Bookie. 

During the early 1960s, Stan 

sold TVs and white-goods and 

also designed and sold Menu 

blackboards to pubs for their 

Counter Meal menus. As well as 

this he clerked for a Melbourne 

Greyhound Bookie and attained 

his Victorian Horse Racing 

Bookmaker's Licence. 

In 1965 Stan was working with 

a printer and was approached 

by Arrow Taxis to print their 

newsletter, then along came 

Regal Combined, who asked the 

same thing. When Civic Taxis 

asked for the same service, Stan 

decided that he could do better 

for the taxi depots, and himself, 

by producing a magazine with 

stories from depots around 

Melbourne. 



27

Tribute 

to Stan F. White .../continued 

So, in May 1966, he started TAXI 

TALK magazine - A monthly 

magazine for taxi men exclusively. 

It was produced as an A5 black and 

white 36-page magazine for the 

first two years. 

It was back in the day when 14” 

tyres for Holden, Falcon and 

Valiants were $11.50 each, and a 

change-over engine for Holden FE 

was $190. 

In May 1968, it was ‘upgraded’ 

to B5 size with a splash of colour 

throughout, and its by-line on the 

front cover was changed to The 

Voice of the Taxi Industry. And 

from there it has kept growing 

and become more colourful every 

year, and it is still going strong 

today, albeit under the different 

name of DRIVE NOW – Voice of the 

Australian Commercial Passenger 

Transport Industry. 

Stan was thoroughly proud of what 

he started way back in 1966 and 

the fact that it is still printed today 

and continued to be produced by 

his family. 

Throughout the years, he met just 

about all of the Victorian Premiers, 

Ministers for Transport and heads 

of the taxi industry regulators. He 

chatted with them on numerous 

occasions and even had lunch and 

drinks with a few. 

He loved his Friday lunches with 

mates from both the Racing and 

Taxi industries, where he would tell 

a joke, a story and have a drink, or 

2 or 10. 

Stan was also one of the largest 

Rails Horse racing Bookies in 

Victoria. He used to say that TAXI 

TALK was his living and Bookieing 

was just a hobby – bloody 

expensive hobby, if you ask me. 

Horse racing was a sport he 

enjoyed - not just because of the 

betting but for the sport itself. 

He did say that Black Caviar was 

the best racehorse he had ever 

witnessed. Mohammad Ali was 

his favourite boxer, and Ash Barty 

his all-time favourite female tennis 

icon. Aussie Rules football was 

favoured too - and he barracked for 

the Mighty Magpies! 

Stan had a passion for fishing. 

Whether it be from the pier, river 

bank, or boats big and small - even 

fish farms. There were fishing trips 

in Cairns and Arnhem Land with 

fellow Bookies and their wives 

- everyone having a great time 

fishing, drinking, eating and telling 

stories. He even taught his children 

and grand-children how to fish. 

He was a self-taught handyman - 

an amateur carpenter, plasterer, 

plumber, electrician, gardener, 

brickie – you name it, he learnt how 

to do it…Stan hardly ever read a 

manual as he said, “real men don’t 

need instructions” – and this got 

him into some trouble over the 

years! 

He may have had variety in his 

jobs, travelled far and wide, met 

and made many friends, but there 

was one constant for over 70 years 

of his life – his wife, Isobel - they 

were married for 60 years. Yet 

in September 2021, Isobel’s heart 

and lungs wore out and she passed 

away. This was extremely hard 

for Stan to cope with – he often 

said that when Isobel died, it was 

like someone punched his chest 

and ripped out his heart – he said 

he had never felt so sad about 

anything before. 

Some years ago, Stan was 

diagnosed with Lewy Body 

Dementia. Come September 2021 it 

was in a very advanced stage, and 

the passing of Isobel just worsened 

it. His ability to remember shortterm 

events decreased and he was 

moved into the Special Care Unit at 

Nellie Melba Retirement Village. 

In April 2022, just before Easter, 

he fell and broke his hip. He had 


hip replacement surgery which was quite successful, but after the 

surgery, he couldn't weight bear and therefore couldn't walk. 

Eventually and reluctantly, he knew his time had come to join Isobel. 

On Sunday 5 June 2022, Stan passed away peacefully and without 

pain, knowing he was loved by his family and truly cherished. 

With tears, we saw him suffer and we watched him fade away. Our 

hearts were slowly breaking as he fought so hard to stay. He is now 

at peace and this also brings, an end to his worry about forgetting 

things. 

Loving father of Toni Peters and Donna White, father-in-law to Marc 

Peters, doting grandfather of Amy, Stuart & Eric Peters and Spencer 

Petrie. 

Stan was my Dad! My friend, my teacher and my inspiration. He will 

be remembered and loved forever. 

Toni Peters 

Editor - DRIVE NOW 

Reflections 

Stan has always been a 

passionate advocate for the 

taxi industry and along with his 

late wife, Isobel, they always 

fought for a fair industry. I feel a 

responsibility to them and for all 

taxi families to continue the fight. 

Rest in peace my friend. 

Rod Barton MP 

A great servant of the Melbourne 

taxi industry over many years. 

Rest in peace. 

Graeme Ransom - Owner/Driver 

He was a true gentleman. The 

industry would simply not have 

been the same without him. 

Andrew Skelton - A2B Australia 

I first met Stan 42 years ago 

and always found him to be a 

real gentleman to deal with. 

He and Taxi Talk played a very 

important role in what once 

was a very proud and successful 

Victorian taxi industry. He will 

be sorely missed by all those 

who remember his unique 

contribution. 

Gary Schmidt - Schmidt Electronic Labs 

A true gentleman and a real 

character of the taxi industry. 

Can you image the stories that 

will be relived once the old boys 

reunite up there? 

Happy times in Chinatown - Stanley F. White and his wife of 60 years, Isobel. 

Steve Armstrong - Ballarat Taxis 



29

STATS 

INDUSTRY STATISTICS 

AROUND AUSTRALIA 

NSW 

# of Metro & Non-Metro 

LICENCE PLATES 

as at 31 March 2022 NSW Taxi Licences 

6,000 

5,000 

4,000 

3,000 

2,000 

1,000 

- 

Taxi Licences Metro 

Taxi Licences Non-Metro 

Jan-18 5,399 913 

Jan-19 5,576 1,210 

Jan-20 5,587 1,425 

Jan-21 4,492 1,432 

Jan-22 5,217 1,446 

Mar-22 5,203 1,444 

May-22 5,189 1,445 

VIC 

# of Registered Commercial 

Passenger VEHICLES 

as at 31 March 2022 

100,000 

90,000 

80,000 

70,000 

60,000 

50,000 

40,000 

30,000 

20,000 

10,000 

- 

21,412 

Victorian Total CP Vehicles 

61,999 

81,885 

88,922 

93,040 92,926 93,783 

31-Dec-17 31-Jan-19 31-Jan-20 31-Jan-21 31-Jan-22 31-May-22 31-Mar-22 

# of Passenger Transport (PT) 

DRIVER LICENCES as at 31 March 2022 

NSW Driver Licences 

160,000 

140,000 

119,847 127,797 132,619 134,518 135,777 

120,000 

99,403 

100,000 

77,838 

80,000 

60,000 

40,000 

20,000 

0 

Jan 18 Jan 19 Jan 20 Jan 21 Dec 21 Mar 22 May 22 

# of Registered CPV DRIVERS 

as at 31 March VIC 2022 TOTAL CPV DRIVERS 

140,000 

120,000 

100,000 

80,000 

60,000 

40,000 

20,000 

- 

65,543 

92,479 

109,142 

113,659 

118,300 

118,319 

118,156 

117,112 

01-Dec-17 01-Dec-18 01-Jan-20 31-Dec-20 

31-Dec-21 31-Jan-22 31-Mar-22 31-May-22 


TAS 

# of Registered Transport Services 

VEHICLES 


Tas vehicles 

1,800 

1,600 

1,400 

1,200 

1,000 

800 

600 

400 

200 

- 

Taxis & Luxury Hire Cars Ride-sourcing 

31-Dec-20 554 1,496 

31-Dec-21 541 1,533 

31-Mar-22 532 1,676 

QLD 

# of Registered Personalised 

Transport LICENCES QLD Vehicles 


20,000 

18,000 

16,000 

14,000 

12,000 

10,000 

8,000 

6,000 

4,000 

2,000 

- 

Limousine Taxi Service Booked Hire Service 

30-Jun-20 499 3,253 17,459 

31-Dec-21 485 3,249 14,990 

31-Mar-22 477 3,248 14,140 

31-Dec-20 31-Dec-21 31-Mar-22 

ACT 

# of Registered PUBLIC VEHICLES 

as at 31 March 2022 ACT VEHICLES 

3,000 

2,500 

2,000 

1,500 

1,000 

500 

- 

Hire Cars Taxis Rideshare 

01-Dec-20 55 182 2,832 

31-Dec-21 42 156 2,409 

31-Mar-22 45 178 2,572 

01-Dec-20 31-Dec-21 31-Mar-22 

# of Registered PUBLIC VEHICLE 

DRIVERS 


act drivers 

5,000 

4,500 

4,000 

3,500 

3,000 

2,500 

2,000 

1,500 

1,000 

500 

- 

Hire Car Drivers Taxi Drivers Rideshare Drivers 

01-Dec-20 602 2,679 4,137 

31-Dec-21 633 2,558 4,644 

31-Mar-22 654 2,538 4,673 

NT 

nt vehicles 

# CP 800 VEHICLES as at 31 March 2022 

700 

600 

500 

400 

300 

200 

100 

- 

Taxis 

Multiple 

Purpose 

Taxis 

Private Hire 

Cars 

Rideshare 

01-Jul-21 187 48 14 681 

31-Dec-21 181 46 8 692 

31-Mar-22 178 44 8 642 

# CP 1,600 DRIVERS as at 31 March 2022 

1,400 

1,200 

1,000 

800 

600 

400 

200 

- 

nt drivers 

Rideshare Taxi Private hire car 

01-Jul-21 1,285 1,340 471 

31-Dec-21 1,318 1,236 428 

31-Mar-22 1340 1202 414 

01-Dec-20 31-Dec-21 31-Mar-22 



31


NSW News 

Transporting 

Veterans 

ANZAC DAY 2022 



The NSW Taxi Council, in 

partnership with RSL NSW, 

worked with Member Taxi 

Service Providers to ensure 

that Veterans were given the 

opportunity to attend the Anzac 

Day march on Monday, 25th April 

2022. 

NSW Taxi Council Deputy 

CEO said, “If it wasn’t for the 

generosity displayed by Taxi 

Service Providers and their 

Drivers, the opportunity would 

not be possible to transport 

Veterans who otherwise could 

not participate in the march.” 

We also appreciate the support 

provided by Representatives 

from a range of agencies 

including – NSW Police, RSL NSW, 

Customer Journey & Planning 

as well as the Department of 

Premier and Cabinet for their 

support and coordination in the 

lead up to and during the event. 

The NSW Police led two Taxi 

convoys – one coming from the 

RSL Lifehouse at Narrabeen 

Village and the other from 

Abercrombie Street, Sydney. 

There were a total of 20 Taxis 

participating in the march this 

year. 

Taxi Drivers were honoured 

and privileged to transport 

the Veterans, including a few 

approaching the 100-year age 

group. 

For one Veteran, Gordon 

Willoughby, aged 99 years, 

attending the Anzac Day march 

was an opportunity to remember 

his mates. Gordon paid his 

respects to two mates from the 

same family who never made it 

back. Gordon thanked the NSW 

Taxi Council and the drivers for 

transporting him to the march. 

Gordon went on to say, “because 

if it wasn’t for the Taxis, I could 

not be here. God bless the Taxi 

Service”. 

For another Veteran, Guy 

Griffiths, Anzac Day was an 

opportunity to meet up with 

a lot of Veterans he served 

with, including WW2, Korea 

and Vietnam. Guy reflected 

on the service he received 

from Taxis stating that it was 

“Outstanding”. 

Betty Niblett, a Veteran who 

joined in 1953, noted that Anzac 

Day was an important time 

to remember her father and 

uncles. Betty went on to state 

that in 1955 she was part of 

the establishment of the first 

Women’s Military Police, a legacy 

which continues on today. 

Bill Chaffey, a World War 2 

Veteran, reflected on Anzac 

Day as a remembrance day – 

remembering those who are here 

and those who are not here. Bill 

also stated that, “If it wasn’t for 

the NSW Taxi Council, the Drivers 

and the Volunteers, he could 

not take part in this magnificent 

celebration of the lives of those 

who are not here”. 

The NSW Taxi Council once again 

thanks all those who played a 

part in making the Anzac Day 

commemorations a success, 

particularly for those Veterans 

who relied on our services to 

take part. 

Lest We Forget. 

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33


Vale 

Brian Wilkins 

23 April 1938 – 13 June 2022 

Brian contributed to the Taxi Industry immensely over 

many decades and he will be greatly missed. 

In 1954 Brian gained a Motor Mechanic 

Apprenticeship. He completed his practical 

component with Roxy Garage & Service Station. In 

1957 he commenced his National Service Training 

(Air force), in Wagga Wagga; Brian completed the 

technical aspect of his apprenticeship with the Air 

force. 

Brian’s first involvement with the Taxi Industry was in 

1946, when the government issued his father a Taxi 

Licence to incentivise ex-servicemen to get back into 

the workplace after WWII. 

In 1958 Brian began his career in the Taxi Industry 

when he applied for and passed his Taxi Driver 

examination. Brian considered himself a “Hotshot” 

Taxi driver and applied to become a part-time Radio 

Operator with Cumberland Cabs Co-operative. He 

became the very first Radio Manager for Cumberland 

Cabs. 

industry and was heavily involved in merging some of 

the smaller Taxi networks. 

Brian became a Director on the NSW Taxi Industry 

Association (TIA) Board in 1994. He went on to 

become the President of the NSW TIA, whilst also 

holding positions of Chairman of the NSW Taxi 

Council, President of the Country Taxi Operators 

Association (CTOA) and Director with the Australian 

Taxi Industry Association (ATIA). 

Brian’s dedication to the Taxi Industry was recognised 

and honoured at the NSW Taxi Industry State 

Conference 2022 with a Lifetime Achievement Award 

for his extraordinary contribution to the Taxi Industry 

over the years. 

Rest in peace, Brian. 

Brian attended the Metropolitan Taxi Council 

meetings as a junior member in 1962, purchasing his 

own plate in 1963. The year 1964 saw Brian tender 

his resignation to Cumberland to own and operate a 

service station. 

In 1967 he decided to come back into the Taxi Industry 

full-time, driving his Taxi. Within weeks, he managed a 

fleet of 30 cabs (Reliable Radio Cabs), and he held this 

position for six years. Brian saw a lot of changes in the 


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35


TRAVELLING WITH 

Assistance 

Animals 

All Australian commercial 

passenger transport vehicle 

drivers (including taxi, 

hire car, and rideshare 

vehicle drivers) have a 

legal obligation to accept 

passengers travelling with an 

assistance animal. 

An assistance animal is a dog 

or other animal specifically 

trained to assist a person with a 

disability. All over Australia, the 

rule is the same. 

These assistance animals are not 

pets - they are trained animals 

and are required to meet a 

high standard of hygiene and 

behaviour. 

People travelling with an 

assistance animal rely on their 

assistance animal for help 

every day, and they also rely on 

taxi, hire vehicle and rideshare 

drivers to get them where they 

need to go. 

Any driver providing passenger 

services in a commercial 

passenger transport vehicle 

cannot refuse to transport a 

passenger with an assistance 

animal or an assistance animal in 

training. 

The NSW Disability Reference 

Group (DRG), which the NSW 

Taxi Council chairs, took a 

proposal to the Point to Point 

Transport Commission to assist 

with developing an Assistance 

Animal Toolkit. The toolkit 

contains a range of user-friendly 

and easily shared resources 

to help service providers 

and drivers understand their 

legal obligations and role in 

supporting people travelling 

with a disability. 

The resources in the toolkit 

have been developed to help 

taxi service providers, affiliated 

providers, and booking service 

providers in NSW inform and 

remind drivers of their legal 

obligations when providing 

passenger services to people 

travelling with an assistance 

animal. 

The NSW Taxi Council would 

like to thank the industry’s 

stakeholders, including the 

Disability Reference Group 

(DRG) members and the Point 

to Point Transport Commission, 

for their contribution to the 

development of the video and 

toolkit. 

For further information on 

Assistance animals in the Point 

to Point Transport Industry, 

access the toolkit and watch 

the videos, please visit - https:// 

www.pointtopoint.nsw.gov. 

au/safety-and-compliance/yourassistance-means-world. 



There are many types of assistance animals in NSW; however, most fall 

into the following categories: 

• Guide Dogs or Seeing Eye Dogs 

• Hearing assistance dogs 

• Physical assistance animals 

• Psychiatric assistance animals 

• Other assistance animals who are trained to assist people with 

disabilities such as epilepsy and dementia. 

Note: An animal other than a dog may also be an assistance animal. 

How can a driver identify an assistance animal? 

Most assistance animals wear some form of 

identification, including vests, harnesses or collars. 

Passengers may also carry evidence of their assistance 

animal’s accreditation. 

What disabilities do people have who need 

assistance animals? 

While some people may travel with walking canes, 

mobility aids, hearing aids or other physical aids, some 

people may not have any visible signs of their disability. 

This can include people suffering from PTSD, early 

onset dementia, epilepsy, among others. 

Can a driver refuse service to a passenger who 

has an assistance animal? 

No - not ever! 

• Allergies are not an acceptable refusal reason. 

Drivers who suffer from allergies must always be 

prepared for any situations that may trigger their 

symptoms. 

• Religious or cultural reasons/beliefs are not an 

acceptable refusal reason. 

How should a driver interact with an assistance 

animal? 

• Please don’t touch, talk, feed or otherwise distract 

the assistance animal; 

• Do not treat the animal as a pet, give it the respect 

of a working animal; 

• Do not speak to or give the animal any commands 

unless the passenger asks you to; 

• Speak to the handler, not their assistance animal. 

Where in the vehicle should the assistance 

animal sit? 

Assistant animals usually sit in one of the footwells of 

the vehicle. 

Will drivers be fined if they refuse a passenger 

with an assistance animal? 

Yes. 



37

ACCC TAKES 

UBER TO COURT 

by Bianca Healey 

The Australian Competition and 

Consumer Commission (ACCC) 

has launched proceedings in the 

Federal Court against global ride 

sharing giant Uber over what 

the consumer watchdog says 

were ‘misleading’ and ‘deceptive’ 

statements in cancellation 

messages. 

Uber has admitted it breached 

Australian Consumer Law 

through cancellation warning 

messages and Uber Taxi fare 

estimates, the commission said in 

a statement. 

The US-based platform 

has agreed to make joint 

submissions with the ACCC 

to the Court for penalties 

totalling $26 million. 

Between around December 2017 

and September 2021, the Uber 

rideshare app showed warnings 

to consumers who sought to 

cancel a ride with words to the 

effect of: ‘You may be charged 

a small fee since your driver is 

already on their way’. 

This was occurring even when 

consumers were seeking to 

cancel a ride within Uber’s free 

cancellation period, the ACCC 

said. 

Most Uber services, including the 

UberX service, have a five minute 

‘free cancellation period’ after 

the driver has accepted the trip, 

in which an Uber user can cancel 

their ride without incurring a fee. 

More than 2 million 

Australian consumers were 

shown the misleading 

cancellation warning. 

Newly appointed ACCC chair 

Gina Cass-Gottlieb said Uber has 

admitted it misled Australian 

users for a number of years, and 

“may have caused some of them 

to decide not to cancel their ride 

after receiving the cancellation 

warning”. 

This likely occurred even though 

customers were entitled to cancel 

free of charge under Uber’s own 

policy, Cass-Gottlieb said. 

In September 2021, Uber updated 

its cancellation messaging for 

Uber services across Australia. 

The message was amended 

to ‘You won’t be charged a 

cancellation fee’, in order to 

accurately inform customers they 

would not be charged during the 

free cancellation window. 

The ACCC also said that for 

about two years, the Uber app 

displayed an estimated fare 

range for the ‘Uber Taxi’ ride 

option which Uber admits misled 

users about the estimated range 

of the fare of a taxi booked 

through that option. 

The algorithm used to calculate 

the estimated fare range inflated 

these estimates so that the 

actual taxi fare was almost 

always lower than that range, 

and consequently cheaper than 

Uber’s lowest estimate. 

It has also conceded it did not 

monitor the algorithm used to 

generate these estimates to 

ensure it was accurate. 

Cass-Gottlieb said consumers 

should be confident that they 

can trust the accuracy of 

information provided by apps 

like that offered by Uber. 

“The misleading information on 

Uber’s app deprived consumers 

of a chance to make an informed 

decision about whether or not 

to choose the Uber Taxi option,” 

she said. 

“Digital platforms like Uber need 

to take adequate measures to 

monitor the accuracy of their 


The ACCC boss said Uber 

admits its conduct misled 

users about the likely cost 

of the taxi option. 

algorithms and the accuracy of statements they make, 

which may affect what service consumers choose. 

“This is particularly important as online businesses 

often carefully design their user interfaces to 

influence consumer behaviour,” Cass-Gottlieb said. 

The parties have agreed to jointly seek orders from the Federal Court, including declarations that Uber 

contravened the Australian Consumer Law, and for Uber to pay $26 million in penalties. 

The Federal Court will decide at a later date whether the orders sought, including the proposed penalties, 

are appropriate. 



39

BE SAFE 

AT HOME AND ON 

THE ROADS THIS 

WINTER 

According to the 

Australian Bureau of 

Meteorology, there were 

more than 150 severe 

weather events in Victoria 

during 2021, including 

extreme winds, rain, hail 

and flooding. 

Australia is currently in 

the midst of a La Niña 

weather phase, meaning 

the odds of aboveaverage 

winter rainfall will 

increase again in 2022. 


Prepare your home, 

office & surrounds 

RACV General Manager Home 

Portfolio, Darren Turner, said being 

prepared for severe weather events 

at home can save owners time, 

money and prevent the risk of 

serious injury. 

However, it’s often the simple things 

that make the biggest difference 

when it comes to avoiding severe 

damage to your home and your 

possessions in a severe weather 

event. 

“It’s important to tend to any 

maintenance required around the 

home – particularly cleaning out 

gutters – and check that loose items 

such as outdoor settings, umbrellas 

and trampolines are secured under 

cover and away from trees,” Mr 

Turner said. 

“Don’t take any risks – stay indoors 

and away from windows during 

a storm and continue to monitor 

weather warnings and forecasts 

by the Bureau of Meteorology 

website.” 

“Stay away from fallen powerlines 

– you should always assume that a 

powerline is live, with the potential 

to cause very serious harm.” 

Sufficient Insurance 

coverage 

One of the most crucial aspects 

of preparing for severe weather 

is ensuring you have sufficient 

insurance cover – urging people to 

check that their policy is up to date 

and covers extreme events, such as 

floods. 

The RACV website features a helpful 

tool to assist homeowners in 

calculating the rebuild cost of their 

home. 

Check your heaters 

“Running a heater that isn’t 

working efficiently can impact the 

health, safety and finances of your 

household,” Mr Turner said. 

“A regular heater service by a 

qualified professional before winter 

can help improve air quality, reduce 

running costs, maximise the life 

span of your heater and greatly 

reduce the risk of an electrical fault 

and fire.” 

Safety on our Winter 

roads 

RACV Policy Lead - Safety, Elvira 

Lazar, said there were several things 

people could do to prepare for 

extreme weather on the road. 

“Whether it’s a severe storm, 

powerful winds or just light rain, a 

change in conditions on the road 

and home can have a significant 

impact,” Ms Lazar said. 

“Weather conditions can change 

very quickly, so it’s important to 

plan ahead wherever possible and 

have safety at the forefront of your 

mind.” 

RACV’s Tips for heavy 

rain and flash flooding 

If driving conditions are dangerous, 

increase the gap between you and 

the car in front to give you more 

time to react and, if necessary, 

safely pull over. 

If a road is flooded, find an 

alternative route. Flood waters 

can be deeper than you think and 

sometimes powerful enough to 

wash a car right off the road – it’s 

simply not worth the risk.

2022 Drive 

Car of the 

Year 

KIA SPORTAGE 

SOURCE: www.drive.com.au 

If you think the Kia Sportage mid-size 

SUV won the 2022 Drive Car of the 

Year award because it shines brightly 

in a few important areas, you’d be 

wrong. The Sportage won because 

it is the strongest performer across a 

breadth of criteria, all of which matter 

to Australian new car buyers. 

Put simply, the Sportage won not 

because it was the fastest or the most 

efficient, nor because it was the most 

practical or most dynamic. It won 

because no other vehicle combines 

all these capabilities into the one 

package like the Sportage does. 

Is the Kia Sportage more 

fuel-efficient than the 

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid? 

Fuel efficiency is a hot topic right now, 

and rightly so. Every litre of fuel a 

vehicle consumes begins as crude oil. 

So the less fuel we use the less oil that 

needs to be extracted. 

One of the most efficient mid-size 

SUVs in Australia is the Toyota RAV4 

Hybrid. This vehicle, which is roughly 

the same size as the Sportage, has 

a petrol engine combined with an 

electric motor that delivers classleading 

fuel efficiency. 

Kia Australia is working on bringing 

a Sportage with a hybrid powertrain 

to Australia that eclipses the 

Toyota in terms of technology and 

performance. 

If you can’t wait for the Sportage 

PHEV to get to Australia, Kia offers 

a turbo-diesel Sportage right now 

that consumes just 6.3L/100km while 

producing 137kW and 416Nm. Those 

outputs endow the Sportage with 

effortless real-world performance, 

and a fuel economy that costs less 

than a bottle of wine more each 

month to feed. 

Should I buy a Kia Sportage 

or an Audi Q5? 

The Sportage’s sweeping dashboardmounted 

digital display which 

incorporates two high-resolution 12.3- 

inch screens really sets the scene. 

This cutting-edge display combines 

with an adaptive touch bar below 

which adjusts its buttons to match 

the infotainment screen mode, 

giving the Sportage a control centre 

to rival some of the best from Audi, 

a company long considered the 

benchmark for cabin fit and finish. 

Both have eight airbags and a swag 

of active safety systems, but only the 

Kia comes standard with adaptive 

cruise control, blind-spot active 

assist, reversing collision mitigation, 

speed zone reminder with road sign 

recognition, and a fully automated 

parking assist with remote control 

and front-facing parking camera. 

Inside, only the Sportage offers 

heated and ventilated front seats, 

front seat position memory, a sliding 

second row, head-up display for 

the driver, and rear-seat occupancy 

warning. 

Safety, practicality, 

presentation, value - the 

Sportage sets new benchmarks in 

these areas for the price. 

Powertrain performance, 

efficiency, driving dynamics 

and ride quality - the Sportage 

is unquestionably the best vehicle in 

its class. 

And that is why it is, in our opinion, 

the best mid-size SUV in Australia 

right now.

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43

Driver JOBS 

QUEENSLAND 

COOLANGATTA/TWEED HEADS 

Is it time to enjoy the great outdoors, beautiful weather 

and laid-back lifestyle? Then the magnificent border 

area of Tweed Heads / Coolangatta is the place for you. 

Earn a few dollars while you are here by driving one 

of our modern taxis. Plenty of shifts available. Phone 

0439 769 259 now! 

TOWNSVILLE 13CABS 

Single car Owner /Operator looking for a motivated 

driver who is flexible on shifts available, and wants 

to get on with the business of making money. New to 

town or looking to become a Taxi Driver, no problem, as 

in-depth training can be provided to help reach your full 

earning potential. Contact Darren 0407 597 908 to learn 

more of what’s on offer. 

BRISBANE CROWN CABS 

All shifts available – 7 days per week. Please phone Tuna 

Guclu on 0419 484 666. 

BLACK & WHITE 

All shifts available. Home changeover available all over 

Brisbane. Set Pay or 50/50 Commission. Limited Set pay 

cars available. Albion Cab Centre. Call Ronnie today on 

0411 864 392. 

\ 

WESTERN AUSTRALIA 

PERTH BLACK & WHITE CABS 

Day shifts (5-7 days). Call Georgina on (08) 9230 0400. 

CROWN CABS 

Drivers wanted full-time or part-time in Morley and Perth. 

Contact Tuna Guclu on 0419 484 666. 

TAKE THE DRIVER’S SEAT IN BROOME’S 

BEST TAXI FLEET 

Airfares included to Broome and accommodation 

provided. Drive for an established Taxi business and enjoy 

the fantastic lifestyle of Broome. APPLY NOW to drive with 

us in Broome. Email: Res@broometaxis.com.au 

NEW SOUTH WALES 

BYRON BAY 

Taxi Driver Positions Available. Day and night shifts 

available every day of the week. Send us your email 

address and we will forward an information pack. Email 

- operations@byronbaytaxis.com 

SOUTH TAMWORTH 

Existing positions available for Taxi drivers. Day and 

night shift available. Phone 0456 441 538. 

SALAMANDER BAY 

Nelson Bay Taxis are looking for additional driver to 

assist in the transport of passengers on the Tomaree 

Peninsula and beyond. 

New drivers will need to have held a full NSW Driver 

Licence for a minimum of two years, have a clear 

Criminal History and hold or are willing to obtain an 

ABN that is registered for GST. A WWCC would also be 

beneficial. 

Please contact Nelson Bay Taxis on (02) 4984 7766 

during office hours to register your interest. 

WILEY PARK 

Taxi Driver Wanted for 13cabs Toyota Camry Hybrid. 

Taxi has Full Comprehensive Insurance, leather seats, 

rubber mats and weather-shield. Very well maintained 

taxis. 

Change over in Punchbowl, Lakemba or Belmore. Day/ 

Night/Weekend or Weekly. Full Time, Part Time or Casual. 

Immediate Start. 

On Going Opportunity. Reasonable pay in. (You must have 

13cabs Authority card. If you don’t have, call 13CABS to get 

one please). Phone or SMS 0418 612 692. 

NELSON BAY 

Nelson Bay Taxis are looking to hire additional drivers 

in preparation for COVID restrictions easing. Drivers are 

required to assist in the transport of passengers around 

the Tomaree Peninsula to medical appointments, shopping 

trips and social engagements. 

You must have held a full NSW driver licence for at least 

12 months and willing to get an ABN and be registered for 

GST. Forward your resume to combinedlimos@gmail.com 

or phone (02) 4984 6699. 


VICTORIA 

SHEPPARTON 

Lots of opportunities than Melbourne to operate 

an INDEPENDENT taxi in Shepparton. No expensive 

local network fees. Ralph 0473 189 190. 

& DRIVERS 

OWNERS, OPERATORS 

ADVERTISE 

HERE FREE 

Send details (word limit=50) of your 

DRIVER or JOB advertisement to 

contact@drivenow-magazine.com.au 

or sms 0400 137 866 and we will print 

your advert here for 3 months. 

SHEPPARTON 

Shepparton Taxis Pty Ltd now has opportunities to 

join our fleet as a taxi operator. A limited amount 

of leases are available. If you are interested in 

operating your own taxi, please contact (03) 5331 

4367 or email stephen@shepptaxis.com.au. 

ELSTERNWICK 

Day shift or night shift MAXI taxi driver with 

13cabs. Reliable and well maintained maxi taxi 

with single private operator. Permanent bookings 

available. Changeover in flexible locations. New 

drivers welcome. Please call 0411 223 454 

EAST DONCASTER 

Driver wanted full time for Silver Top car. Please call 

Harvey 0404 847 699. 

EAST DONCASTER 

Must be 25+ years old. At least 3 years experience. 

East Doncaster changeover. Call or SMS Tony on 

0413 393 594 or email tonysursock@gmail.com. 

SOUTH AUSTRALIA 

TRANMERE 

Friday or Saturday Night Driver wanted. Immediate start. Call 

0416 821 840. 

DRIVER CAREERS 

If you’re thinking of a career as a taxi driver, come and join 

Adelaide’s largest taxi company. Great income potential 

with all shifts available in all metro areas. Call ADELAIDE 

INDEPENDENT TAXIS on (08) 8202 1200 to book your free 

information session. 

CANBERRA 

OWN YOUR OWN BUSINESS - TAXI OPERATOR 

Are you a taxi driver looking to become your own boss? If you are, 

talk to us about leasing a taxi plate and working with Canberra’s 

biggest taxi fleet. We will help you through the process of 

becoming an accredited taxi operator and starting your own 

business. Contact fleet@aerialcg.com or call (02) 6126 1500. 

FOR SALE 

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Proven sound and enduring business operating for more than 30 years. 

Independent of major taxi companies, 

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Bookings by mobile phone and fare 

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Home-based business including:- 

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Detailed information and training is 

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MACLEAY ISLAND 

45

overseas news 

EU backs ban on new 

fossil-fuel cars from 2035 

by Kate Abnett 

BRUSSELS - European Parliament 

lawmakers have voted to support 

an effective EU ban on the sale 

of new petrol and diesel cars 

from 2035, rejecting attempts to 

weaken the proposal to speed 

Europe’s shift to electric vehicles. 

The vote upholds a key pillar of 

the European Union’s plans to 

cut net planet-warming emissions 

55% by 2030, from 1990 levels 

- a target that requires faster 

emissions reductions from 

industry, energy and transport. 

Lawmakers supported a 

proposal, made by the European 

Commission last year, to require 

a 100% reduction in CO2 emissions 

from new cars by 2035, which 

would make it impossible to sell 

fossil fuel-powered vehicles in the 

EU from that date. 

Attempts by some lawmakers to 

weaken the target to a 90% CO2 

cut by 2035 were rejected. 

The aim is to speed Europe’s shift 

to electric vehicles and embolden 

car makers to invest heavily in 

electrification, aided by another 

EU law that will require countries 

to install millions of vehicle 

chargers. 

“Purchasing and driving zeroemission 

cars will become 

cheaper for consumers,” said 

Jan Huitema, parliament’s lead 

negotiator on the policy. 

Car makers including Ford and 

Volvo have publicly supported 

the EU plan to stop combustion 

engine car sales by 2035, while 

others, including Volkswagen, aim 

to stop selling combustion engine 

cars in Europe by that date. 

But emails seen by Reuters show 

industry groups including German 

auto association VDA lobbied 

lawmakers to reject the 2035 

target, which they said penalised 

alternative low-carbon fuels and 

was too early to commit to, given 

the uncertain rollout of charging 

infrastructure. 

“Our positions are transparent. 

It is our mission to develop the 

best solutions with everyone 

involved,” a VDA spokesperson 

said. 

Electric cars and plug-in hybrid 

vehicles made up 18% of new 

passenger cars sold in the EU 

last year, although overall car 

sales dropped in the year amid 

semiconductor shortages, 

according to the European 

Automobile Manufacturers’ 

Association. 


Traffic Safety Signs may be 

hazardous to your health 

by Paul Hsieh 

Motorists are inundated with 

roadside signs while driving. These 

can include speed limit signs, 

construction warnings, directions 

to prominent landmarks, and 

safety warnings (e.g., “Icy Road 

Ahead”). 

In an interesting paper published 

recently in Science, researchers 

Hall and Madsen make a strong 

case that certain roadside safety 

warning signs can backfire and 

actually increase — rather than 

decrease — the risk of fatal 

accidents. 

As part of a roadside safety 

campaign, the state of Texas 

(like many US states) regularly 

displays “dynamic message 

signs” indicating the number of 

recent traffic fatalities — e.g., 

“1669 DEATHS THIS YEAR ON 

TEXAS ROADS.” However, Texas 

displays these signs one week 

every month, providing a natural 


experiment as to how much those 

signs reduced accidents. 

To their surprise, Hall and Madsen 

found that the signs did not 

reduce the number of accidents, 

but rather the opposite. Over 

a period of several years, on 

the weeks the messages were 

displayed, car accidents rose by 

4.5% on the stretches of road 10 

kms after the signs. This translated 

to 2,600 more accidents and 

16 more deaths each year in 

Texas, with an estimated annual 

socioeconomic cost of $377 

million. 

The researchers also did extensive 

analysis to control for other 

confounding factors. For instance, 

they checked fatality rates for 

similar stretches of road upstream 

of the signs, as well as checking 

data on comparable weeks before 

the public safety campaign began. 

They also controlled for weather, 


holidays, and other factors. 

Hall and Madsen argue that these 

signs caused more accidents due 

to a combination of increased 

cognitive overload on the drivers 

along with high “saliency” 

(attention-grabbing effect) of a 

starkly negative message. 

Furthermore, the signs increased 

the number of multi-vehicle 

accidents but not single-vehicle 

accidents. 

The Texas Department of 

Transportation clearly had good 

intentions with their campaign, 

with an explicit goal of reminding 

motorists “that driving deserves 

their full attention every time they 

get behind the wheel.” 

Unfortunately, this particular 

effort had the unintended 

consequence of distracting drivers’ 

attention, sometimes fatally so. 

47

overseas news 

Tesla investigation deepens- 

>12 US ‘Autopilot’ crashes 

by Lauren Aratani 

US federal regulators are 

deepening their investigation 

into Tesla’s Autopilot function 

after more than a dozen Tesla 

cars crashed into parked firstresponder 

vehicles over a period 

of four years. 

The National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration (NHTSA) 

is upgrading its preliminary 

investigation, which launched 

last August, to an “engineering 

analysis”, which is taken before 

the agency determines a recall. 

The investigation covers all four 

Tesla vehicles – Models Y, X, S and 

3 – representing about 830,000 

vehicles that have been sold in the 

US. 

The investigation is focused on 

Tesla’s Autopilot feature, which 

is supposed to help drivers 

navigate roads through artificial 

intelligence, which detects other 

vehicles. The company instructs 

drivers to pay attention to the 

road and keep their hands on 

the steering wheel while using 

Autopilot, though some drivers 

have used Autopilot drunk or 

sitting in the backseat of the car. 

The 16 crashes at the base of the 

investigation took place between 

January 2018 and January 2022 

and resulted in 15 injuries and one 

death. In documents posted to 

its website, NHTSA said forensic 

data indicates that the majority of 

the drivers had their hands on the 

steering wheel before impact and 

were complying with the system 

as it was designed to be used. 

The agency said this as the 

investigation specifically looks 

into whether the Autopilot 

feature ultimately undermines 

“the effectiveness of driver’s 

supervision”. 

In a letter to Musk last fall, 

Jennifer Homendy, chair of the 

National Transportation Safety 

Board (NTSB) – a separate federal 

agency that investigates crashes 

and makes recommendations 

to other agencies such as the 

NHTSA – urged Musk to respond 

to its safety recommendations 

for Autopilot that it issued to 

Tesla back in 2017. The NTSB 

recommended that Tesla develop 

safeguards that would not allow 

drivers to use vehicles in ways 

inconsistent with its design. 

“If you are serious about putting 

safety front and center in Tesla 

vehicle design, I invite you to 

complete action on the safety 

recommendations we issued four 

years ago,” Homendy wrote in a 

letter to Musk. 


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51

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