DRIVE NOW May/June 2022

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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 10 May/June 2022
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 www.drivenow-magazine.com.au May/June 2022 11
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DRIVE NOW May/June 2022

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