‘Taxi’ trouble

A DRUNK Doveton man allegedly posed as a taxi driver on Saturday night and charged four teenagers $10 to drive them to a party.
Police intercepted the unlicensed 30-year-old in Dandenong. A breath test found his blood alcohol concentration was almost four times the legal limit.
Victorian Taxi Association (VTA) deputy CEO David Samuel said the incident was worrying given recommendations to relax regulations for pre-booked only (PBO) cabs from the Victorian Taxi Industry Inquiry.
“The taxi industry, especially in relation to who can drive and operate commercial passenger vehicles, is regulated to try and ensure passenger safety,” he said.
“Allan Fels’ final report suggests changes to Victoria’s existing, largely successful, PBO service.
“The proposals include the removal of formal training for drivers and a lowering of vehicle standards.
“These changes, on top of the fact that there is no requirement to fit safety devices like GPS tracking or an alarm system, mean that passengers and drivers will be put at risk.”
Mr Samuel said the incident highlighted the dangers of rogue taxi apps that don’t require those registering as drivers to provide any meaningful evidence of their identity.
“This means no checks to see if they are licensed to drive a cab or even if they are a fit and proper person,” he said.
He said rogue taxi apps provided a way for “dodgy individuals” to access passengers in a way that hadn’t been possible before.
“The risk is that an individual, such as the man who was charged last week, can now register online as a taxi service and prey on unsuspecting passengers,” he said.