20 September 2010

Wheelchair taxis top the agenda

| johnboy
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With Canberra Cabs booking system finally reaching usability levels one would hope for (and the blessed SMS alert on approach!) Chief Minister Stanhope is talking to them today about wheelchair accessible taxis (WATs).

Mr Stanhope said the Government would consult further with WAT users as part of its major review of taxi services which was currently under way.

“The Government acknowledges there is a growing frustration among accessible taxi users, most particularly in relation to waiting times,” Mr Stanhope. “Today’s roundtable will have a particular focus on how the industry can improve standards and services for accessible taxi users and whether further regulation of the industry is needed.

“Waiting times, overall cab numbers and meeting demand in peak times will also be discussed.

“The roundtable discussion will feed into the Government’s review of taxi services in the ACT, which will recommend ways to improve service levels while also maintaining the financial viability of drivers and operators.”

We wish him luck.

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Numbers is always the problem. Time to deregulate the industry and get more owner operators back in.

I drove these for a short while back in the mid-1090’s – the streched XF’s. Imgine the cost of converting those.

I never worked so hard for so little money. You’d be in Tuggers and sent up to Page to take someone to Belconnen. Add to that 5 minutes each end pulling ramps out, and tiedown straps. Finish that job and you’d then be sent to Woden to take a wheelchair to Woden Valley Hospital. The car was taking 25-30c per km, about a 1/2 of what the regular fleet did then.

It’s too uneconomic to be a private operation, needs to be a government service.

Richard Bender7:48 pm 20 Sep 10

Whether further regulation of the industry is needed, Mr Stanhope?

Your regulation of the industry – i.e. artificially restricting the number of taxi licences – presents the single biggest barrier to entry by making it unnecessarily expensive. As this regulation does not ensure quality cabs or quality drivers (with apologies to those who maintain their cabs, keep them clean and employ non-lunatic drivers), there is little argument to keep it.

If you want more wheelchair accessible taxis, make it easier for cab owners and drivers to enter the game.

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