Regulator Set To Review High Airport Taxi Fares
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Flat-rate taxi fares between Sydney Airport and the CBD are being proposed to address reports of travellers hit with fares as high as $100 for the 20 minute trip.
New South Wales independent pricing regulator has made seven recommendations to overhaul Sydney’s taxi sector, including a two-year trial of a $60 cap for standard taxis making the journey between CBD and the airport, and a cap of $80 for maxi taxis.
The move comes following stories of passengers experiencing excessive fixed fares, drivers not running meters, and drivers demanding “illegal fixed payments”.
The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal also heard concerns of drivers being “abusive towards passengers” who request short trips.
Sydney is one of the few major cities in the world not to have a fixed price fare system in place, unlike global centres such as London or New York, who offer capped charge taxi airport services.
NSW Taxi Council chief executive Nick Abrahim supports the regulator’s recommendations, and says they would address bad behaviour among some drivers.
“We want passengers to have confidence and certainty that when they get in a taxi they know how much they’ll be paying and drivers shouldn’t be discriminating,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Fixed fares will set out an expectation about how much they can charge.”
“Being overcharged… has become a too common experience”
Negotiations are also under way between the Sydney Airport Corporation and peak taxi bodies on other solutions to address short-fare refusals at the airport.
One of the suggested options would see drivers queuing in a new “shorter line” taxi hail queue designated for passengers only needing short trips.
Once a driver has finished the trip, they would be able to return to the airport with a guaranteed spot in the waiting queue.
IPART is also calling for taxi drivers to provide more detailed receipts to passengers, including driver IDs and plate numbers, in an effort to “increase transparency”.
Transport for NSW is considering the proposals as part of its consideration into setting taxi sector fares applying from July 1.
Transport Minister John Graham said the needs of the passenger would be prioritised when reviewing the recommendations.
“The majority of cab drivers do the right thing every time but being overcharged when landing in Sydney has become a too common experience for visitors to our city,” he said.
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