‘Two strikes and you’re out’: NSW crackdown on rogue taxi drivers

The NSW government is introducing tougher penalties for taxi drivers caught ripping off passengers with new “two strikes and you’re out” laws. From December 6, taxi drivers who are caught committing a fare-related offence on two separate occasions will have their taxi licence revoked. Transport Minister Jo Haylen emphasised that these laws would be used to crack down on a “minority of rogue drivers” in the taxi industry ahead of the holiday season. “This is a really busy time for the taxi and rideshare industries. Christmas parties are starting to kick off, people will be starting to come home through the airport, and then there are people rushing around for those last-minute gifts,” she said. “The majority of our state’s 15,000 taxi drivers are doing the right thing, but these new measures will ensure that those who aren’t, are out.” Ms Haylen noted that these laws would also apply to app-based rideshare companies, the major competitor of the taxi industry for both drivers and passengers. “Drivers convicted twice for fare-related offences will not only be disqualified from the taxi industry but also rideshare companies like Uber and DiDi,” she said. Drivers who are found guilty of two fare-related offences will be excluded from the taxi and rideshare industry for a minimum of 10 years. Fare-related offences that will disqualify drivers include: In the last two years, more than 900 fines have been issued to taxi drivers by point to point transport commissioner Anthony Wing’s inspectors. “We take all fare-related offences seriously which is why my inspectors are frequently out conducting plain clothes operations along with highly visible compliance activities,” Mr Wing said. He noted that “small time first offenders” would not necessarily be prosecuted by the point to point transport commissioner’s office and could be issued a fine instead, not counting as a strike. NSW Taxi Council chief executive Nick Abraham welcomed the changes, saying that these changes were “a response to NSW Taxi Council’s call for tougher measures”. “We took a four-point plan to the minister which included introducing the disqualifying offences measure to really send a tougher message to drivers who do the wrong thing by passengers,” he said. “These measures are to protect the livelihood of the majority of good drivers who are out there doing the right thing. We want to make sure that we protect that for them. We are proud of our industry and the services we provide, we want to instil confidence in members of the public.” In advance of Christmas and end-of-year parties in December, Mr Abraham said he wanted passengers to be able to “leave the car at home, go out and have a good time, have the peace of mind and the confidence that whenever you want to use a taxi you’ll be looked after and provided with good service”. Drivers with existing breaches of these offences have been put on notice that they are at risk of disqualification from the industry.