A taxi driver has been fined $12 000 and banned from operating any rideshare vehicle after charging excessive fixed fares in excess of state regulations and ejecting his passengers if they refused.
In a statement released by NSW’s Point to Point Transport Commissioner, Nurman Syarif allegedly demanded passengers to pay fixed fares declared by him rather than the car’s meter.
When passengers refused and asked Syarif to use the meter, he ejected them and their luggage, putting their safety at risk.
Last week, Syarif was convicted in Sydney’s Downing Centre local court and found guilty of several offences related to his conduct towards his passengers.
Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge presided over the case and found Syarif guilty of four offences including behaving in an offensive manner and two counts of demanding fares contravening arrangements approved by the state’s fares order, as reported by The Guardian.
In a separate incident, another taxi driver was fined $3,300 and convicted by the Court for adding extra fees to the meter at the end of a trip following a covert operation by an undercover officer.
Point to Point Transport Commissioner Anthony Wing stated that he was pleased with the outcome of both court matters.
Transport Commissioner: ‘Rogue taxi drivers have no place in the Industry’
“In an industry where the majority of taxi drivers do the right thing, rogue drivers such as these, who repeatedly offend and break the law, have no place in the industry. If drivers do the wrong thing, it is clear they risk a hefty fine or being kicked out of the industry all together”. Commissioner Wing said in a statement.
According to the Point to Point Transport Commissioner, as part of his ongoing oversight of the industry, the Commissioner’s team of Authorised Officers regularly conduct visible and covert compliance operations, targeting taxi drivers who violate fare-related law.
Over the past two years his Authorised Officers have issued more than 1000 fines to rogue drivers for fare-related offences such as refusing to use the meter or overcharging.
New disqualifying offences introduced late last year by the Government mean taxi drivers who are convicted by the court on two separate occasions for fare-related offences will be kicked out of the industry.
“Those recalcitrant drivers who just aren’t getting the message and continue to offend now face in addition to significant fines also being disqualified from the industry and unable to drive a taxi, rideshare or any point to point transport vehicle,” Commissioner Wing added.
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