The views of regional and country taxi passengers, taxi operators and taxi drivers are being sought by the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) as part of a review of taxi fares across NSW to apply from July 1 next year.
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IPART Chairman Dr Peter Boxall said taxis play an important role in regional areas.
“Where there are few public transport options, taxis can be the only way people can reach the shops, medical appointments or other engagements,” Dr Boxall said.
“We need to understand whether the current services and fares are meeting these communities’ needs, or if changes should be made.”
“The costs of keeping a taxi on the road are different in urban and country areas. Most of the components of a taxi fare (hiring charge, distance rate, etc.) are higher in the country, but average fares are lower due to shorter distances travelled.”
For the first time, taxi fares in Wollongong, Newcastle, the Central Coast and Blue Mountains are being considered separately to Sydney fares, with the review covering all taxi services outside of Sydney.
IPART is seeking feedback from people in regional and country communities across NSW via an online survey at http://www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/Home/Taxi_Survey.
“We want to know why people catch taxis and what they think of those taxi services,” Dr Boxall said.
“Do they find taxis affordable and what transport alternatives do they have? If fares were cheaper, would they catch taxis more often?”
“Fares may be right for some areas, but not for others.
“We are aiming to make it easier for people to catch a taxi, and easier for taxis to operate. That means operators need to be earning enough to cover their costs and make a decent living, while fares should be affordable enough to attract passengers,” Dr Boxall said.
The survey is open for comment until November 18. The Issues Paper, along with further information on IPART’s review, is available at IPART’s website www.ipart.nsw.gov.au.
A draft report will be released for further comment in April.
