Thursday, 24 March 2022

Taxi fares

Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (18:18): (1845) My adjournment this evening is for Minister Pearson, the Assistant Treasurer. Victorian taxi fares are some of the lowest in the country, and the costs of living keep going up. It is no surprise that our lowest paid and most vulnerable workers are feeling the brunt of these increases. In the past year fuel prices, as we know, have increased by 32 per cent—the biggest annual increase in 32 years. Now we are seeing reports of fuel soaring to over $2.35 a litre in my electorate. Meanwhile we have seen the Essential Services Commission begin their annual review into maximum taxi fares—a long, absurd process that is expected to take the rest of this year. It is not good enough. There is no pricing mechanism available that is flexible enough to keep up with the rapidly changing costs of living. Despite taxidrivers being forced into poverty for some years now, no other mechanism to alleviate the financial devastation has been considered by this government, the regulator or the Essential Services Commission. That is why maximum fares for unbooked work should now be removed.

This would take the handcuffs off the taxi industry and bring us one step closer to operating on a level playing field, which we were promised, with all the other market participants, especially rideshare. Taxidrivers have only had one fare increase in the past 14 years. If you cannot figure out how to deliver a fare rise over the last eight years, then fair dinkum. This is the not the time for unnecessary bureaucratic delays. Commercial passenger vehicle drivers need maximum fares removed today, so the action I seek is that the minister remove the maximum fares for unbooked work.