In reply to Clare Gardiner-Barnes, Deputy Secretary, Freight, Planning and Strategy Transport for NSW (Your View, May 11).
Nobody disagrees that there needed to be changes to the taxi Industry.
However, it’s a pity that the Point to Point Taskforce ended up so one sided towards ride-sharing companies.
It’s very disappointing that the NSW Government, in their haste to conform with the Feds Harper Report, lost valuable opportunities to take full advantage of the inquiry.
This government also showed true contempt to the many senior mum and dad taxi owners by releasing the taskforce findings just days before Christmas last year.
It was very cruel to these senior Taxi Plate owners who have either mortgaged their homes or worked hard over many years to achieve an asset while always showing respect to the strict transport regulations that the government imposed.
Many now use their plate to support their superannuation in retirement.
These seniors and many other taxi operators had complete faith in the Minister of Transport and the RMS when, at meetings last year the minister talked tough against ridesharing companies like Uber, but in the end showed them no support, which left many of them financially disadvantaged and dismayed with this government.
Messrs Constance, Gay and the silent local member should hope that by the time they retire, their retirement funds are not ‘Uberised’ in some way.
The taxi industry have always welcomed competition and are trying to fight back against these multi-national companies, by trying to be more competitive.
However there needs to be a level playing field with green slips ($7000 plus), out of date industrial relations laws and other annual costs that ride-sharing companies don’t pay or have to deal with.
There is also a question mark over GST and the proof that ride-sharing companies are paying their fair share of tax in Australia.
Uber have showed complete disregard to transport regulations and laws in NSW.
The recent government partnership with Uber in the promotions to seniors is another ‘kick in the pants’ to the many seniors who have invested the lives into taxi industry, only to be thrown onto the financial scrap heap by this government.
Make the playing field level and let competition take its place.
Dennis Blewitt, Lugarno
