Police Wrap - 20 August 2010

Not sure if the whole negotiate up front before you ride would work. It is too open for misuse by both taxi drivers and passengers. What happens late at night or early morning after a big night out. Taxi drivers knowing there is no other way for passengers to get home would abuse the system, by asking way too much for the fares. Same for Passenger,they could work the way down a taxi line seeing which was cheaper, which would not be fair on other drivers.

Spideydog said :

Our taxis need 2 things:

1. Fare paid up front (with avenue for passengers to dispute fare at a later time if they feel it was unfair)

2. NYC style taxi’s with protective barriers to protect the driver (and passengers)

It is such as shame that our Australian society has come to this (not many places in the world do we sit in the front of a taxi/cab)

What the people need is a form of public transport that is cheap, so they don’t feel that doing the runner is an option.

If a Taxi from Mawson to Wanniassa is $55, you’d be best off calling for a tow truck to get your car from the city if you lived further then one or two suburbs away from it.

Our taxis need 2 things:

1. Fare paid up front (with avenue for passengers to dispute fare at a later time if they feel it was unfair)

2. NYC style taxi’s with protective barriers to protect the driver (and passengers)

It is such as shame that our Australian society has come to this (not many places in the world do we sit in the front of a taxi/cab)

dvaey said :

After arriving at the address a dispute began over the cost of the fare.

Maybe taxis should have a system like limo hire cars, where you negotiate the fare before you even get into the vehicle. This way there is no dispute at the end, and no-one feels like theyve been ripped off, if theyre told honestly, up-front. Even if the cabbie has no idea where theyre going or what theyre charging, with GPS’s these days it would only take a few moments to give an accurate fare quote.

ACT Policing has increased its bicycle patrol numbers from two to six, for the inner city area.
They also provide a highly visible police presence
All officers on bicycle patrol are outfitted with high-vis safety clothing and equipment

Maybe they can follow along the same thought pattern, and bring in some more high-vis marked police vehicles to our roads too. You dont see them talking about how great it is that theyre bike riders are unmarked or un-uniformed like they do with vehicles. They obviously understand that high visibility is a deterent effect, without them even having to use their voice or any other equipment, so why not transfer that thinking from people thinking twice about commiting a crime in front of a police officer, to thinking twice before commiting a traffic offence.

I swear it seems like a broken record, asking for more visible policing, especially when unmarked/un-uniformed officers are far more profitable for the territory, but hopefully with an increase in bike patrols, car patrols might get looked at also.

m8, if you aren’t seeing the hi-vis vehicle’s out there, you ain’t getting out enough. They are out there EVERY day and quite often in the high thoroughfare locations.

Your “apparent” knowledge of ACT Policing is very poor to say the least. You talk about unmarked vehicles and un-uniformed memebers as if this the main business of ACT Policing ….. you also insinuate that members do Policing duties with the main purpose of raising revenue for the government !!!! Do you actually believe that Police members really care about raising revenue for the government or serving and protecting the community.

Your conspiracy theories are providing some sort of comic relief though I suppose.

After arriving at the address a dispute began over the cost of the fare.

Maybe taxis should have a system like limo hire cars, where you negotiate the fare before you even get into the vehicle. This way there is no dispute at the end, and no-one feels like theyve been ripped off, if theyre told honestly, up-front. Even if the cabbie has no idea where theyre going or what theyre charging, with GPS’s these days it would only take a few moments to give an accurate fare quote.

ACT Policing has increased its bicycle patrol numbers from two to six, for the inner city area.
They also provide a highly visible police presence
All officers on bicycle patrol are outfitted with high-vis safety clothing and equipment

Maybe they can follow along the same thought pattern, and bring in some more high-vis marked police vehicles to our roads too. You dont see them talking about how great it is that theyre bike riders are unmarked or un-uniformed like they do with vehicles. They obviously understand that high visibility is a deterent effect, without them even having to use their voice or any other equipment, so why not transfer that thinking from people thinking twice about commiting a crime in front of a police officer, to thinking twice before commiting a traffic offence.

I swear it seems like a broken record, asking for more visible policing, especially when unmarked/un-uniformed officers are far more profitable for the territory, but hopefully with an increase in bike patrols, car patrols might get looked at also.