Brisbane City ratepayers being taken for a taxi ride

Brisbane ratepayers have been charged thousands of dollars to pay the taxi fares of local politicians attending council events. FIND OUT WHO WERE THE BIGGEST SPENDERS

ADRIAN Schrinner has ordered a rewrite on the rules of councillor taxi privileges after his own side charged ratepayers thousands of dollars on cab fares.

The Courier-Mail can reveal the Lord Mayor has asked the Council CEO for a new set of guidelines to set out “much more clearly” when and how committee chairs and the Opposition Leader can use their taxi cards.

It follows revelations that ratepayers were charged more than $3900 in cab fares from LNP committee and council chairs in the 2018/19 financial year.

Cr Angela Owen. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Walker

“As the new Lord Mayor, I am happy to take a fresh look at the old guidelines to make sure that they are crystal clear going forward,” Cr Schrinner said.

“Council Chairs and the Opposition Leader are permitted to use taxis from time to time as they do not have drivers to take them to and from events as occurs for State Government Ministers.”

Cr Schrinner pointed out that the current guidelines were introduced in the 1980s, and said he wanted the new ones to be modelled on the State Government’s.

LNP Councillor Angela Owen, who previously served as chair of council, charged ratepayers the most on cab fares in 2018-19 up to June 11, racking up a bill of $1968.18 for dozens of trips.

She has previously defended her cab charges bill, saying it was due to the number of times she represented the Lord Mayor at events and how far away she lived from the CBD.

Deputy Mayor Krista Adams also charged ratepayers $1185 for cab fares.