Regulation changes coming to the Victorian taxi industry will see drivers having to turn on their meters for fares hailed on the street or ranks to try to stop fare gouging.
The commercial passenger industry regulations will be updated by the Victorian government to ban drivers from trying to negotiate fare prices.
The changes will be implemented across Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo and will start on September 28 ahead of the AFL grand final, the Melbourne Cup and the Australian Open.
Since 2018 when the taxi industry was deregulated to accomodate rideshare companies AKA Uber, taxi drivers have been able to negotiate fares with customers that didn’t have a prior booking.
This ability to negotiate has left some riders copping exorbitant prices from taxi drivers during big events in Melbourne like the Grand Prix and the Australian Open.
As per The Guardian, Ben Carroll, the state’s public transport minister said that the new regulations will mean that taxi drivers must use their meters even if the ride wasn’t previously booked and was simply hailed from the street.
“These changes will improve taxi services for Victorians – giving passengers certainty they can get home safely, especially during busy major events,” he said in a statement on Monday.
“We’re making sure the rules are clear and that people travelling by rank and hailing taxis will get to where they need to go without frustrating price hikes.”
As per 9News, 13Cabs spokesperson David Samuel said the taxi industry welcomed the reforms and that these new regulations would also benefit the drivers.
“It’s very positive for consumers and people looking to use taxi services, particularly after major events,” he said.
“We think these changes will help provide some certainty for people when they are leaving these events and attending the great events that Melbourne has to offer.
“Most of our drivers do the right thing, they work very hard and they use their taxi meter.
“We want to see that small cohort of drivers that [do the wrong thing] being held accountable for their behaviour.”
As of September 28, you can officially say goodbye to having to cop the long walk home rather than negotiate a fare with a taxi driver, wins all round!
