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QUEENSLAND UNITED HIRE DRIVERS ASSOCIATION INC ACT TAXI REFORM

The industry will have to change to remain competitive and this means

1/ Compulsory affiliation to any booking company must end

Booking companies must go on a user pay system WAT vehicles controlled by central booking company controlled by government (WCBS) Training new drivers taken out of hands of booking companies and given to TAFE

1. Compulsory training for drivers who continually flout rules like going longest way to destination or continues to lose their way, has a dirty vehicle, personal hygiene not up to scratch.

Booking companies made to divest any ownership or operation of any taxi.

http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/aboutus/rti/disclog/13500870%20taxi%20industry%20Part2.pdf

2/ Insurance companies forced to lower the cost of insurance costs to that of normal car by the regulator

3/ Compulsory training for drivers who continually flout rules like going longest way to destination or continues to lose their way, has a dirty vehicle, personal hygiene not up to scratch.

4/ Third party eftpos machines including from banks to made available to all drivers with all commissions going to drivers.

http://www.australiancompetitionlaw.org/cases/2010cabs.html

5/ Taxi and Limo division set up and made independent of government.(TSC) Government, industry and customer Reps set up on permanent basis to advise new body on reforms to industry. Industry reps based on actual membership not compulsory membership. Points to be discussed by Board of new body

Uber regulated to operate under new reforms1. Any illegal taxi driver found driving must have six point taken automatically of

license.2. Any taxi or regulated uber car found to be continually un-roadworthy be crushed.3. Uber regulated to pay all necessary taxes and GST4. Legislation enacted to make all uber drivers have a DA or taxi licence5. Legislation enacted that all uber cars go through the same requirements as

taxis and have safety checks on cars.6. If uber car is under finance uber drivers must ensure the loan provider has a

copy of commercial passenger vehicle insurance note7. All uber drivers must present to government a commercial insurance cover

note8. All uber drivers must present to government a copy of their ABN9. All uber drivers must present to government a copy of police background

checks10. If a uber driver is to carry children a blue card or child safety card must be

presented

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QUEENSLAND UNITED HIRE DRIVERS ASSOCIATION INC ACT TAXI REFORM

11. Once all of the above a ridesharing license to be issued12. All uber cars must be properly identified13. Price gouging to be legislated against14. Prices to be made identifiable in cars15. That the Minimum contract Terms include: a. 50% of gross fares earned go to

the driver; The owner/operator be responsible for 100% of fuel costs; and A minimum renewable term of agreement of 12 months for all but irregular drivers used to cover unforseen shortfalls in available drivers

16. Set payin or contract conditions regulated 17. All contract agreements to be agreed by both parties and witnessed by third

party.18. To fit into the existing framework in the rest of Australia all new entrants to

have access to funds from the government to set up new plate and lease new plate from governments and all funds for purchase of plate or lease of plate must be independent of any taxi company

19. Uber drivers and independent drivers must have duress alarm similar to link below.http://trackimo.co.za/

Reduce regulations to make individual taxis competitive to hire cars and bigger companies Fares to rise by CPI every year and do away with the TCCI

20. Capped fares must be removed and fully floating fare structure but with benchmarks set.

Subleasing of plates made illegal and government set lease payments and start leasing plates21. Compensation offered to plate owners for plate devaluation22. No dumping of plates on to market and buyback of plates by government at market

values to decrease no of plates to allow for increase of income for the industry.23. That at midnight on 31 December 2015 all current sublease be deemed to be

Leases directly between the licence owner and current sublessee

Central booking app for taxis similar to uber but run by Commission and funded through surcharge on usage (CBS)

24. Feedback through app on customer service by industry app which goes direct to regulator as well as driver feedback on customer. Taxi app must be made compulsory for all taxis and paid for by customer paying a commission to use app similar to uber.

Portable non-compulsory super, holiday pay, long service pay. Unpaid four week break for drivers and if money has been set aside in portable holiday pay, paid leave.http://www.qleave.qld.gov.au/

Compulsory workers compensation Compulsory reporting of runners, attacks and trip data to regulator via a data warehouse in

each state to allow for better info on where to release plates to or buyback plates and also allow police immediate access for prosecution.

All drivers must be provided with copies of insurance notes.

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QUEENSLAND UNITED HIRE DRIVERS ASSOCIATION INC ACT TAXI REFORM

That the Legislation be amended to provide for an independent tribunal capable of economically and quickly dealing with matters in dispute in the taxi industry.

That in respect of such independent tribunal:a. The tribunal be empowered to act in a manner similar to that followed by the Queensland Industrial Relation Commission (QIRC), that is, to conciliate all disputed matters in the first instance and to arbitrate at the request of a party where conciliation has failed;b. The tribunal be empowered to issue enforceable orders;c. Provision be made for an appropriate appeals mechanism;d. The scope of the work of the tribunal should include disputes between bailees and bailors, bailees and taxi booking companies as well as between bailors (operators) and taxi booking companies;e. Representation of parties at conciliation should exclude legally qualified persons; andf. Representation of parties by legally qualified persons at hearings be only by leave of the presiding Tribunal member having regard to the circumstances.

That the Government create a regulatory requirement that all work, to the extent possible, be allocated equitably by taxi booking companies and that data be kept and provided to the CMTEDD on a periodic basis that would enable not only monitoring but the ability to investigate allegations of unfair practices in the distribution of work. Operators and drivers should also have access to this data on request.

That the CMTEDD review all statutory and other costs met by operators over which the government has control with a view to minimising costs and streamlining the manner in which the administrative charges are applied.

That Local Governments review the number of wheelchair and mobility scooter access points in kerbing for city streets in consultation with appropriate representatives of users of mobility scooters and wheelchairs.

25. That Local Governments consider running public education campaigns, including increased focus on issuing fines, so to ensure bays set aside for the set down of passengers using wheelchairs and mobility scooters are utilised only for their intended purpose.

That the fare evasion “infringement notice” fine be increased to $600.00 out of which the driver is compensated for the loss of the fare up to $200.00. In the alternative, should the government not wish to increase the fine, that 50% of the current fine be paid to the driver as compensation? (Note where the driver is a bailee, the amount paid to the driver would be shared with the operator in accordance with their bailment arrangements

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QUEENSLAND UNITED HIRE DRIVERS ASSOCIATION INC ACT TAXI REFORMFLAWED RESEARCH

IPART and other agencies rely heavily on research and surveys by agencies like Taverner Research but their own research tells them that up to 64% of respondents give false and misleading answers and this was confirmed in a research paper by Taverner Research for the ACMA inquiry.

How can we accept any research done by these research agencies when 64% of the information could be wrong?

IPART and the ACT government are relying heavily on information that could well be 67% wrong. So what should the ACT government and IPART do? Go back to the drawing board as the variables are unacceptable in the scientific community as a scientific study.

From research conducted by Taverner Research

"Some Australians respond to unwelcome demands for online information by going to another service. But a significant number (47 per cent)—rising to 64 per cent of those aged 18 to 24—adopt a digital disguise by providing inaccurate or misleading information about themselves, effectively relying on anonymity and pseudonymity for protection".

Prof Alan Fels used flawed research when considering his report thus making his report easily distrusted.

http://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/Library/researchacma/Research-reports/online-digital-disguises

HISTORY OF REFORMS IN AUSTRALIA AND WORLD WIDE

Many countries and Australian jurisdictions have tried to reform the heavily regulated taxi industry and all have failed.

NT tried to but it caused chaos and the change of government saw all reforms rolled back and compensation offered to all those affected but the human tragedy of suicide rates amongst the taxi community could not.

26. “The NT experience has been a classic example of the collision of economic theoryand empirical reality. By deregulating entry to the commercial passenger vehiclemarket economic theory indicates that supply and demand will move to anequilibrium. Unfortunately, as the NT experience has shown, this has not happened.”http://www.icrc.act.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/taxisubmissionattachmenta2feb03.pdf

Victoria with theoretical economist Prof Alan Fels and Prof David Cousins has again caused chaos to the taxi community with little return and the incoming government winding back reforms and offering compensation.

Fels promised to the public cheaper fares but delivered dearer fares, he offered shorter wait times but delivered longer wait times, he offered increased income for drivers and delivered less overall income. He offered gypsy taxis and delivered to the detriment of the industry and the travelling public.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/taxi-fares-to-increase-day-and-night-20140410-36g2d.html

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QUEENSLAND UNITED HIRE DRIVERS ASSOCIATION INC ACT TAXI REFORM

New Zealand deregulated the industry offering cheaper fares, less wait times through more taxis on the road but now has the highest taxi fares and wait times in the western world.

http://www.ibtimes.com.au/new-zealand-has-worlds-most-expensive-taxi-fares-1346712

Ireland deregulated offering the same as in New Zealand and ended with the same results and now has the highest fares in the Europe community and the highest suicide rates in the taxi community.

Most countries that have toyed with de-regulation have re-regulated

http://www.atia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Competition-and-Regulation-Report-12-December-2011.pdf

List of acronyms

ACCC Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

ACT Australian Capital Territory

ATO Australian Taxation Office

Capped fares Fares artificially set by government

CBS centralised booking service

CIE Centre for International Economics

CMTEDD Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate, ACT Government

CTIA Canberra Taxi Industry Association

CTP Compulsory Third Party [insurance]

CPI Consumer Price Index

DRT demand responsive transportation

DSAPT Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 (Cth)

GST Goods and Services Tax

HOTS high occupancy taxis

IPART Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal, New South Wales

ITOP Independent Taxi Operator Pilot

JACSD Justice and Community Safety Directorate, ACT Government

LTA Land Transport Authority, Singapore

NICTA National Information Communications Technology Australia

NSW New South Wales

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QUEENSLAND UNITED HIRE DRIVERS ASSOCIATION INC ACT TAXI REFORMPrice Gouging Setting fares higher than normal during peak times

RBA Reserve Bank of Australia

RRT Regulatory Reform Team, CMTEDD, ACT Government

RTA Road Transport Authority, Access Canberra, ACT Government

RTO Registered Training Organisation

TAMS Territory and Municipal Services Directorate, ACT Government

TCCI taxi cost calculator index

TNC transportation Network Company

TSC Taxi Services Commission

TSS Taxi Subsidy Scheme

WAT wheelchair accessible taxi

WCBS Wheelchair Accessible Taxi Centralised Booking Service

List of terms

App Application – a digital product that can be downloaded onto a smart phone, tablet or other electronic device.1

Dynamic pricing (also known as surge pricing)

Pricing that changes and is formed around the current demand for and supply of a particular type of on-demand transportation, such as ridesharing.

Hire car A vehicle (other than a bus, taxi or demand responsive service vehicle) that:

(a) Is used, or is intended to be used, for the transport of passengers under a contract; and

(b) Does not stand or ply for hire for the transport of passengers along a road or road- related area.2

On-demand public transport Unscheduled, point-to-point passenger transport provided for a fee or charge.

Ridesharing the providing of passenger transport for profit or reward using a private vehicle and an app-based booking service.

Sharing economy an economic model in which individuals are able to borrow or rent assets owned by someone else.3

Taxi A vehicle (other than a bus or demand responsive service vehicle) that stands or plies for hire for the transport of passengers along a road or road-related area.4

Standard taxi that is not designed specifically to accommodate passengers in wheelchairs.

Wheelchair accessible taxi

(WAT) Taxi that is designed specifically to accommodate passengers in wheelchairs.

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QUEENSLAND UNITED HIRE DRIVERS ASSOCIATION INC ACT TAXI REFORMNYC PROPOSED RIDESHARE REGULATIONS

http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/downloads/pdf/proposed_rules_fhv_app_cert.pdf

AUBURN AMERICA

On Jan. 6, city officials passed an ordinance placing companies like Uber under the same rules required for taxi cabs. They include requirements for commercial insurance, paying city licensing fees, signage identifying vehicles and mandatory background checks for drivers.

Twenty states and Washington have regulations in place for transportation network companies.

http://wtvr.com/2015/06/03/new-regulations-for-uber-and-lyft-drivers-in-virginia/

LINKS

http://pan.search.qld.gov.au/search/click.cgi?rank=9&collection=qld-gov&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tmr.qld.gov.au%2F~%2Fmedia%2Fbusind%2FTaxiandlimousine%2FTaxi%2520strategic%2520plan%2FPdf_response_to_taxi_industry_investigation_report.pdf&index_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tmr.qld.gov.au%2F~%2Fmedia%2Fbusind%2FTaxiandlimousine%2FTaxi%2520strategic%2520plan%2FPdf_response_to_taxi_industry_investigation_report.pdf&auth=HP4IuKHi%2FB22dXAUBrJp9g&search_referer=&query=OMBUDSMAN%20REPORT&profile=transport_mainroads&identifier=

https://nemoincognito.wordpress.com/2014/05/13/transport-regulation-if-this-were-finance-uber-would-be-behind-bars/

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