Page 2414 - Week 08 - Thursday, 30 August 2007
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frustrated with some of the serious issues that have afflicted them in the provision of taxi services. There has certainly been an impression created—and I know it is going to be denied and refuted by the minister—that the level of consultation with the lead taxi company has not occurred at an appropriate level and that they have been frozen out on occasions of the government decision making. In answer to a question on notice, the minister stated: “Before there is any consideration for the release of further taxi licences in 2007-08, the government will need to assess the impact the additional licences released in 2006-07 has had on the industry by analysing at least six months of waiting time data from both Cab Express and Aerial.” There is a serious issue with the taxi industry and it seems that this situation is not being assisted by what appears to be an adversarial relationship with key players like Aerial.
I note that it is the government that will make the assessment of the impact of additional licences. Receiving data from the two taxi companies is not enough. It should be actively consulting with the industry, and simply creating more licences when the government feels like it may not be the answer. We seem to have this conflict on the one hand of saying, “It is not our problem; let them set up companies that they want to,” and on the other hand we want to control them and impact significantly on the industry’s economic viability because of the way in which licences are dished out. The end effect is that the situation is less than ideal in the ACT. It has been for quite a long time and solutions are needed that will solve many of the issues that are plaguing taxi users in the ACT.
Public transport is not adequately filling the void. (Second speaking period taken.) For example, in Civic the nightrider service is not all year round, as I understand it. That means there is enormous pressure on taxi services, and issues of safety then arise in Civic. A daily area of complaint is about problems that beset passengers coming in and out of Canberra airport. I tuned in last week to a morning ABC program. A frustrated interstate businessman called and said he was down there and there were 300 people waiting in line for taxis. I understand this is a tricky area. On the one hand it would flood the market with taxis running whenever they feel like it and you would end up making it unviable. But, on the other hand, these acute shortages at different times are not being tackled. It is the role of government to try to deal with problems that are not capable of being sorted out in the community and advance sensible solutions and consultation with the major stakeholders.
In relation to one of the major stakeholders, I have had several meetings with the Council on the Ageing (ACT) in relation to that opposition portfolio responsibility. It has reiterated that taxis are a vital service for elderly people who require transportation between nearby suburban areas that do not always fall on a single bus route. If the arrangements for taxis in the ACT are not performing at optimal levels, many of our seniors in Canberra are significantly disadvantaged.
Just turning to a couple of other areas that relate to this portfolio, matters dealt with by the Department of Territory and Municipal Services arise commonly in letters and phone calls from constituents. Without any doubt it is probably one of the areas where most MLAs receive the most contact from their constituents. I certainly can say in relation to my own office, as I have put out in statistics, it was something in the order of about 550 complaints in 1,400 or thereabouts that I have received over the past year
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