Sydney taxi operator shuts down after airport, NSW road bans
A Sydney cab operator has collapsed into liquidation after authorities banned its 250-strong fleet from NSW roads and Sydney Airport over safety concerns.
A Sydney cab operator has entered liquidation, after it was recently banned from providing taxi services in NSW and from Sydney Airport.
Apex Cabs went into voluntary liquidation on Tuesday, weeks after the NSW Point to Point Transport Commissioner cancelled the company’s authorisation to provide taxi and passenger services, banning it from NSW roads.
The company with a fleet of 250 cabs was barred from Sydney Airport twice, after it sidestepped an initial ban by slapping stickers on its taxis which branded them under a new name, Elite Zoom Cabs.
The airport told Apex Cabs any brand associated with its Australian Business Number would be subject to a two-year ban.
A Sydney Airport spokesman said the Apex Cabs had repeatedly engaged in “unsafe and disruptive” behaviour, including “traffic obstruction, tailgating, touting, damage to property” and ignoring safety instructions.
The company’s later ban from NSW roads last month came after an audit by the Point to Point Transport Commissioner, revealing issues like not having appropriate systems to ensure it didn’t hire banned and disqualified drivers and the misuse of taxi meters.
Other concerns included inadequate driver training and issues with cameras, vehicle maintenance, missing roof signs and insurance not being current.
At the time, Apex Cabs owner Mushtaq Mohammed confirmed drivers had abandoned his company after it was banned from the airport and he was out of pocket after buying new equipment.
“I am in a depression right now,” he said. “This has never happened in Sydney Airport history before and now we have been targeted.
“I am trying to reach out to lawyers but I don’t have any money. Really I am in tears about this.”
NSW Taxi Council CEO Nick Abrahim said losing the ability to operate at the airport would have hugely impacted Apex’s viability.
“When you lose the ability to operate inside the airport, that puts a big dent in your business, because the airport is quite lucrative for picking up passengers and picking up fares,” he said.
“You’re losing a very important part of operating a taxi business and many of those operators and drivers would have left.”
The Sunday Telegraph reported last month rogue taxi drivers banned from Sydney Airport were able to return by re-signing with different companies.
NSW transport minister John Graham also recently cracked down on cab drivers who overcharge customers or don’t use their meters by tripling the fine from $1000 to $3000.
Mr Abrahim said the NSW taxi industry was still calling for a centralised identification system for drivers and greater transparency around their histories and complaints.
Other states like Queensland and Victoria have a centralised ID process for drivers, but NSW does not, which meant it was harder for service providers to perform background checks for drivers, he said.
“The industry is screaming for support, for assistance from the government to get better transparency and to be able to rein this in and say, ‘No, hang on. We need to get better controls in place to be able to determine who deserves to get behind the wheel of a taxi and who shouldn’t,’” Mr Abrahim said.
News Corp has contacted Apex Cabs for comment.
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Originally published as Sydney taxi operator shuts down after airport, NSW road bans
