Failure to deliver look after Australian small business in ACT

The Government has failed to compensate owners for the clear economic losses from their change in regulatory stance over the industry. They have done this over the last 5 years under the guise of introduction of driver on demand services, but this has nothing to do with the changes that they have implemented of:

1 – Reducing the rates for their ACT Taxi Leases.

2 – Increasing issued licences beyond the markets capacity.

3- Created and maintain inequitable regulatory and cost requirements between ACT Taxi Services and driver on demand services.

The losses to ACTTPOA members are substantial and have recently accelerated substantially. The ACT Government has failed to date despite our objections:

Recognise the economic losses.
Have plans and regulations to compensate for such losses.
Acknowledge it has a duty of care and financial obligations to ACTTPOA members.

The ACTTPOA must at this critical time take up their rights for fair compensation, social and administrative justice to avoid a serious and substantial impact on all of our member’s lives and financial and emotional wellbeing. This AGM must decide on action. If it does not and it does not avert the release of new ACT Plates in March and avert the current Government Policy the changes are likely to be unrecoverable in the short –medium term.

The failure of the principles of Administrative Fairness, Social and Economic Justice by the ACT Government.

The current ACT Taxi Plate policy reforms have been enacted after a blatant disregard for the economic losses that would be incurred by ACT Taxi Perpetual Plate owners in the pursuit of a broader sustainable transport policy objective of the ACT Government. While the government’s commitment and investment in sustainable transport for the ACT is a positive development the poor consideration of the economic and social impacts to ACT Taxi Plate owners is a fundamental breach of the Governments duty of care, economic justice and economic policy. The challenge for Governments is one how to achieve sustainable development without destroying the natural and cultural resource base currently in the industry.

This is especially so where the ACT Government is a major owners of the capital in the industry and a price fixer, lease operator, regulator and market maker. The ACT Government regulations are principally directed to promoting

passenger safety;
driver safety;
public convenience & affordability;
accessibility;
minimum public nuisance.

Failure by ACT Government to put proper control measures in place

In reality the government has determined maximum fares, driver qualifications, caps on ownership, car specifications, minimum service standards among many, many other factors over the years. They have been a regulator and participant of this industry and it has clearly been a regulated industry since inception up to the current time.

This begs the question as to why the dumping of taxi plates is not properly managed, nor the regulation of commercial rideshare such as Uber and the like?

Is Buy-Back really an option?

In view of the current and pending policy changes by the ACT Government in relation to the Taxi Industry do you want the ACT Government to buy back your taxi plate? Is this really an option considering that they will say buy back will be based on current market value which has been manipulated by the government – now close to $20K.