Queensland’s ‘cowboy’ cabbies face $3000 penalty for not using meter, even if fare agreed upfront
Queensland cabbies who price-gouge passengers – such as one who charged $80 when the fare should have cost $25 – will now cop heavy penalties.
QLD News
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The state government has signed off on new mandates and heavy penalties in a bid to wipe out taxi drivers meddling with meters and price-gouging customers.
It comes after The Courier-Mail highlighted some cabbies taking advantage of weary travellers at Brisbane Airport and revellers in Brisbane and the Gold Coast’s party precincts.
New legislation published last week will come into effect in October and require taxi drivers to use their meter for all trips.
Even if a fare is agreed upfront, the cabbie must still run the meter so that if the final meter reading is less than what was agreed, the passenger need only pay the meter amount.
“Passengers will be able to identify when a driver is seeking to overcharge them and it will also assist TMR compliance officers to undertake enforcement activity if a driver refuses to run a meter,” a Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesman said.
“This will provide passengers with assurance that they are being charged no more than the maximum fare for a taxi journey, and will ensure taxi drivers do not inadvertently breach these rules.”
Two new offences have been created.
The first is for failing to use a meter, which carries a maximum penalty of $3096, or a $309 fine.
The other is an offence of tampering with a meter, which has a maximum penalty of $6192, or a $619 fine.
The legislation document also included astounding examples of price gouging.
A person was charged $80 from the International Airport to Hendra, when it should have cost about $25.
Another person was charged $183 from Fortitude Valley to Mt Gravatt, which should have only cost about $50.
Queensland Taxi Council chief executive Blair Davies said it has always been illegal for taxi drivers to refuse fares and welcomed the new stronger mandates.
“More needed to be done by TMR to enforce the rules and this will make it easier for their compliance officers to do this, so we support it,” he said.
“In some places and at some times, some cabbies were trying to take advantage of a shortage in supply … the fact that they can see certain pricing on a rideshare app is no excuse.”
The Courier-Mail highlighted a string of cases last year where passengers were overcharged for short trips after the driver either never turned on the meter, or turned it off mid-journey.
Sam Mortimer was out with friends at Howard Smith Wharves in August last year and wanted a maxi-taxi to go to Fortitude Valley about 11pm on a Saturday.
He was initially quoted $85 and $65 for the 1.5-km trip before accepting the “less astronomical” $40 fare offered by the third driver.
The Courier-Mail was also made aware of cabbies in the Valley party precinct demanding $30 to go to Auchenflower, less than 7km, and $40 to Yeronga, less than 9km.
A Gold Coast taxi passenger reported being charged $45 to go from Broadbeach to Surfers Paradise – a journey of less than 5km.
Safe Night Precinct Fortitude Valley secretary Alex Hall said frustrated revellers stranded late at night due to taxi overcharging were prime candidates for sparking drunken violence.
It was not just party precincts. Frequent flyer Mina Dunstan was stung $45 for a 10km trip from Brisbane Airport in October last year after the driver turned the meter off mid-journey.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads carried out a behaviour blitz on “cowboy” cabbies and rideshare drivers spanning six months from December 2022 to May 2023.
The results were one in five drivers intercepted were fined – 1159 infringement notices and 329 defect notices from 6227 intercepts.
However, only 35 were netted for charging maximum fares or refusing service, and of those, just nine drivers were eventually prosecuted, which was the real focus of the crackdown.
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