RSL drops plan to exclude taxis from Sydney Anzac Day march amid terrorist concerns
DESPITE concerns over terror attacks, the NSW RSL has dropped an idea to remove taxis carrying war veterans from this year’s Anzac Day parade.
Manly
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THE NSW RSL has dropped an idea to remove taxis carrying war veterans from this year’s Anzac Day parade.
There was a proposal that older Diggers would instead be carried in golf carts on the April 25 parade due to worries about potential terror attacks.
The RSL also argued that it wanted the veterans to be more easily seen by the public and the TV audience.
But NSW RSL Branch president James Brown has confirmed that it will not push ahead with the idea and has conceded the proposal “could have been handled better”.
If the plan went ahead, dozens of veterans from the RSL’s “War Vets” retirement home at Narrabeen would still have been driven in a convoy of 50 Manly taxis to the city but then would have to transfer to golf carts to complete the march.
Last week Mr Brown said there were concerns that the use of taxis made the veterans more vulnerable to terror attacks.
“The days of having large numbers of cars in street parades with thousands of pedestrians are over,” Mr Brown said.
“We do have a hostile vehicle threat that we need to think about.”
When the proposal was revealed late last week it prompted an outcry from the NSW Taxi Council.
Council CEO Martin Rogers said it broke a 60-year tradition and would prevent many veterans from participating in the event.
The Taxi Council also said that all drivers involved in the parade have extensive background security checks.
“The veterans stay in the taxi, are driven through the march and taken straight back home to be safely unloaded again,” Mr Rogers said.
He said loading and unloading veterans was a lengthy process performed by the staff at RSL Life Care Narrabeen.
“To have those veterans being dragged out in the busy CBD and stuck on a golf cart is simply not possible for the majority of these veterans, forcing them to miss out altogether.”
Today, Mr Brown told 2GB that taxis carrying veterans would remain in the parade.
“(But) we want to make sure we know who is driving every single vehicle in the parade.
“Veterans who need to be in a taxi on the day will be in a taxi on the day.”
Mr Brown said RSL NSW will meet with the Taxi Council tomorrow.
“Clearly, this could have been handled better,” he said.
“This is a day to recognise men and women who’ve put their hand up to make the ultimate sacrifice for this country … veterans will be honoured on this day.”
Northern Beaches Councillor Rory Amon, who represents the Narrabeen Ward, described the decision as a “good outcome” for war veterans on the peninsula.
“This has been a short, but very vocal campaign,” Cr Amon said.
“Behind the scenes there have been a lot of representations by me and the Taxi Council that have resulted in a good outcome.
“Now we need to make sure, going forward, that communications between the NSW RSL and veterans is clearer.”
