Dodgy Brisbane taxi and rideshare drivers busted in month-long operation
Almost 200 fines have been issued for price gouging and other offences by Brisbane taxi and rideshare drivers in a month-long operation.
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One in five taxi and rideshare drivers have been busted doing dodgy deals, including price gouging and refusing trips, in an enforcement blitz.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey said on Sunday the month-long targeted operations had seen almost 200 fines of up to $575 dished out to drivers.
In that period, undercover Transport and Main Roads Department officers posing as passengers had made almost 1000 intercepts.
Mr Bailey said he was “very disappointed” with the high number of drivers doing the wrong thing, and the operation would be further ramped up over the summer period to catch out more “bad eggs”.
“What I want to say to all the taxi drivers and rideshare drivers is our people will be out there late at night, early in the morning, constantly over the festive season and all the way through to Australia Day and beyond,” he said.
“If you’re found to be doing the wrong thing you will be penalised and you may lose your licence, because we want the safety of people guaranteed.
“Taxi drivers will be caught if they try and refuse fares or rip people off.
“And rideshare drivers will be caught if they tout for fares roadside and take trips that are not pre-booked.
“We’ll be conducting covert operations at all times of the day, so when a passenger gets in a taxi at 3am, the driver should expect it to be an enforcement officer, and they’ll be caught out if they do the wrong thing.”
Mr Bailey said he had ordered the initial blitz after growing concerned over reports on the conduct of taxi drivers, as well as a significant rise in the number of customers complaints.
The Courier-Mail reported last month on the increasing trend of drivers “exploiting” people in party precincts in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, demanding passengers pay astronomical fares and refusing to turn on the meter.
One man told of being told by a taxi driver he would need to pay $85 to get from Howard Smith Wharves to Fortitude Valley on a Saturday night – a trip which is about 1km.
“It is the responsibility of taxi and rideshare drivers to ensure the safety of the public every single time they engage with them and that is our expectation,” Mr Bailey said.
“If you get a taxi or a rideshare at night or early in the morning after you’ve been out with your friends it is your right to get home safely.
“We ask for people to report any taxi driver who refuses to turn on their meter when asked.”
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