Transport Matters MP Rod Barton plots private member’s Bill to fine touting drivers

Melbourne Airport has been flooded with complaints about dodgy drivers hassling newly-arrived travellers, fleecing them with expensive deals. But the game might finally be up.

Police would be given the power to hit touting drivers with fines of up to $8000 under new laws to be considered by state parliament next month.

Transport Matters MP Rod Barton will introduce a private member’s bill to ban touting, after the Herald Sun revealed this week that Melbourne Airport was begging the Andrews Government to take action.

The government has admitted that changes may be needed after the touting offence was removed from the state’s laws last year as part of reforms to legalise ride-sharing services such as Uber.

But Mr Barton will seek to force the issue when parliament returns in August, accusing the government of “dragging its heels” and saying passengers will be at risk until changes are made.

Touting drivers have been hassling travellers inside the terminals at Melbourne Airport. Picture: Jason Edwards

The airport has been inundated with complaints about dodgy operators hassling travellers as they collect their luggage, and fleecing them with expensive deals.

It identified 50 touting incidents in just half an hour during a survey in March.

The government plans to hold crisis talks with the industry over the next two months, but Mr Barton told the Herald Sun there was no time to waste.

“Something needs to be done to stop touting and it needs to be done quickly because the problem is just getting worse,” Mr Barton said.

“We have continually asked the government for action and nothing has happened, the regulator is dragging its heels, and so it’s time we forced some action on this before there is a serious incident.”

The issue is also being scrutinised by a parliamentary inquiry into the government’s commercial passenger vehicle reforms, which received a submission from Melbourne Airport with a string of horror stories from travellers.

Mr Barton said: “We shouldn’t have to wait for the outcome of an inquiry, or for a serious incident to occur, before something is done to stop it.”

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His private member’s Bill could get through the upper house if the Opposition — which has called on Premier Daniel Andrews to fix the touting issue — teamed up with other crossbench MPs.

But the government would have to support it for it to pass the lower house.

Mr Barton said he believed touting could be banned by instituting new regulations as a short-term fix, with the parliamentary inquiry to guide more substantial reforms to improve passenger safety.

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