Taxi drivers who refuse a fare subsidy for passengers with a disability will face fines of up to $3,000 under measures announced by the NSW Labor government.
Passengers who use the Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme (TTSS) say they often being refused a ride because they were unable to take their subsidy card or docket.
There was no penalty for drivers because they were not refusing a fare, only the payment method.
Now drivers will be fined $ 3,000 for knocking TTSS back paper dockets or smartcards, as well as for other interstate subsidy schemes.
The reforms will also require taxi service providers to meet the requirements of the TTSS scheme.
One of the other new measures raises the fine for starting the meter before a wheelchair-using passenger is safely secured in the vehicle from $300 to $3,000.
“To hear stories of people being refused service by taxi drivers, or meter rip-offs against wheelchair-bound passengers, is infuriating,” NSW Transport Minister John Graham said.
“These $3,000 fines make clear our zero-tolerance for taxi drivers who take advantage of any passenger, disabled or not.
“The majority of cab drivers do the right thing every time, and I want to thank them for that, but we will continue to pursue the bad apples in the industry.”
Adrian O’Malley has been refused taxis over 10 years because he has tried to use the NSW Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme (TTSS ). (ABC Radio Sydney: Declan Bowring)
Left at the kerb
Sydney resident Adrian O’Malley first reported the issue on 702 ABC Sydney Mornings with Hamish Macdonald last October.
Mr O’Malley, who lives with half-blindness in both eyes and cannot legally drive, told 702 ABC Sydney he had multiple experiences of being left at the kerb by taxi drivers refusing to take his TTSS payment.
Mr O’Malley said he had at least four experiences last year, one of which involved a driver removing his bags from the car boot at Sydney Airport last year.
“What I’ve got now is next time a taxi driver decides to be difficult [I can say], ‘It’s against the law mate, you’re going to get a fine,'” Mr O’Malley said.
“I don’t want to be at the airport and have my luggage taken out of the boot and put back on the kerb, and I have to explain to my daughter what’s going on.”
Lewis Clark from Transport for NSW told Mornings with Hamish Macdonald the agency would look into whether changes in the legislation were needed.
The NSW Taxi Council welcomed the move, having previously told 702 ABC Sydney that there was a loophole allowing drivers to take passengers and then claim they couldn’t take the TTSS.
“Whilst we are grateful for the majority of drivers who go above and beyond to look after our most vulnerable passengers, we must ensure that those individuals who choose to do the wrong thing are identified and dealt with by the full force of the law,” NSW Taxi Council Chief Executive Nick Abrahim said.