QWN – Cameras in Commercial Passenger Vehicles
Tuesday 8th December 2020
Today Rod asked if it was now time to have cameras in Rideshare vehicles for the safety of drivers and their passengers.
Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (11:26): My question today is for Minister Pulford representing the Minister for Public Transport, Ben Carroll. The gig is up. The taxi company known as Uber is just that—just another taxi company. Recent media reports have shown violence committed against their drivers, and there have been difficulties in pursuing charges against these people who have assaulted these drivers. My question, Minister, is: is it not time, for the protection of not only drivers but also the travelling public, that all rideshare vehicles should have cameras fitted?
Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business) (11:27): I thank Mr Barton for his question and his ongoing interest in this industry, and I will seek a written response from Mr Carroll for him.
Cameras in Commercial Passenger Vehicles
Today Rod asked if it was now time to have cameras in Rideshare vehicles for the safety of drivers and their passengers.
Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (11:27): Thank you, Minister. Whilst we address the issue of cameras in commercial passenger vehicles, is it not now time for Victoria to fall in line with other jurisdictions in Australia and have cameras with sound and vision recorded to protect drivers and the travelling public?
Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business) (11:28): Again, I will take the opportunity to take that question on notice for Minister Carroll, who will provide a written response.
Streamlined application for driver accreditation
Rod asked the government to step in and ensure an efficient and streamlined application process for driver accreditation by the CPPV is implemented in the interest of fairness.
Asking for justice: repair the suffering, pain and loss caused by the 2017 reforms.
Asking for Justice…Rod moved for the government to acknowledge that taxi licences were valuable items of property and to repair the damage of past reforms.
Motion – Repairing the Past
Today Rod read in his motion which he will debate in the Upper House tomorrow afternoon.
Notice of Motion 24th November 2020
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I give notice that, on the next day of meeting, I will move —
That this House —
- acknowledges that —
- in 1998, the High Court of Australia determined that a taxi licence was a valuable item of property;
- since the commencement of the Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry Act 2017, the revocation of perpetual Victorian taxi and hire car licences amounted to a compulsory government asset acquisition;
- the revocation of perpetual Victorian taxi and hire car licences for a fraction of their worth constitutes as a breach of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006;
- arbitrary transition assistance payments in lieu of some, but not all, perpetual Victorian taxi and hire car licences was grossly inadequate and unfair;
- the deregulation of the industry in 2017 has —
- created a glut of commercial passenger vehicles on our roads;
- reduced driver income to well below minimum wage;
- threatened the economic viability of the industry;
- caused worsening traffic congestion;
- calls on the Andrews Government to —
(a) accept a financial proposal to properly compensate the industry for the compulsory asset acquisition of all perpetual Victorian taxi and hire car licences;
(b) make adjustments to the commercial passenger vehicle industry structure to better balance market components and end driver exploitation; and
(c) support a recovery plan to build back and move the commercial passenger vehicle industry forward through COVID-19.
Taxi Drivers – Fair Pay?
This week, Rod asked the Premier about the treatment of Essential Transport Workers.
Thursday 12th November 2020
Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (12:42): My constituency question is for the Premier. Taxi fares in Victoria have not increased since 2014, and there have been a number of reviews. Taxidrivers are essential transport workers, as has been demonstrated during this pandemic. They receive no holiday pay, no sick pay, no superannuation and no maternity leave, and many have been known to work for less than $10 an hour—well below the minimum wage. The Essential Services Commission sets these fares, and it is interesting to note the executives at the Essential Services Commission in the same period have received a pay increase of 24.5 per cent. The information I seek is: what is the justification for this unfair treatment of these essential transport workers?
Taxi & Hire Car Industry
The taxi and hire car industry had been knocked down before this pandemic even started. Rod Barton is concerned that COVID-19 will be the nail in the coffin for many of them struggling to survive.
The government’s lack of support for non-employing sole traders has let many fall through the cracks, crippling the taxi and hire car industry.
The future of the industry and livelihoods of these workers depend on a comprehensive and effective recovery plan to move forward. There is so much at stake.
Already it is a struggle for many to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table for their families. Rod Barton believes it is absolutely critical that there is a strategy to relaunch the taxi and hire car industry.
Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria is responsible for outlining the rules and parameters that dictate this industry. This responsibility extends to ensuring the industries survival and creating an action plan to move forward.
This is why Rod Barton asked the Minister for Transport, “what is the CPVV’s plan to relaunch the taxi and hire car industry as we come out of restrictions?”
If the regulator fulfils its role in the economic recovery of this industry, Rod Barton is optimistic that we can give hope to those in this industry who have been doing it tough.
Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Metropolitan and the Leader of the Transport Matters Party Rod Barton MP:
‘I believe that the regulator has a statutory responsibility to ensure that the taxi and hire car industry has an economic recovery plan as we come out of this pandemic.’
Sole Trader Support
Today we wrote to the Premier seeking an answer for Sole traders.
Dear Premier Andrews,
COVID-19 has up-ended everything about how we live, work and interact and has us considering our hopes and plans for the future in a different way.
Question – Department support for Australian owned CPV services
I asked Premier Andrews to ensure that all Victorian government departments support small business and use only Australian registered rideshare and taxi services?
Support needed to keep essential taxis working
A support package to keep taxi drivers working is essential to maintain transport options for Victoria’s elderly, disabled and vulnerable according to Eastern Metro MP and Transport Matters Party leader Rod Barton.
“Drivers have had it tough for the last few years and for many this will be the last straw.”
Barton calls for fair price increase on taxi fares
Transport Matters Party leader Rod Barton has called for an increase in the maximum regulated taxi fares of 10 percent immediately with annual CPI increases in the future.
“These Victorian public transport drivers are slugged with increasing costs on all sides and no way of improving their working conditions.”