How cowboy cabbies are ripping off elderly, vulnerable Victorians

Vulnerable Victorians are being whacked with hefty taxi fares — or even rejected for short trips — by dodgy drivers trying to fleece them for more money.

Greedy taxi drivers are preying on some of the most vulnerable Victorians, attempting to rip off or entirely refuse the fares of elderly people, young women and people leaving hospitals.

Last year, the taxi watchdog, Safe Transport Victoria received nearly 1300 complaints from people who said they were refused fares by cowboy cabbies.

People also made formal complaints about being whacked with exorbitant fares, having disagreements with dodgy drivers or being refused a proper receipt.

Taxi company 13cabs has called for a technological fix in every vehicle in a bid to stamp out predatory fare behaviour by drivers.

The Herald Sun this week revealed that taxi company 13cabs had called for a technological fix in every vehicle in a bid to stamp out the predatory behaviour that has become rife during high-demand periods such as the Australian Open.

Each car has a payment terminal attached to its meter which prevents drivers from adding extra charges to a ride. But in a bid to bust the system, some rogue cabbies are using a separate handheld payment terminal to charge inflated amounts, bypassing the meter entirely.

Since that report, the Herald Sun has been inundated with horror stories from people trying to get a taxi.

An elderly woman was refused a cab home to South Yarra from a birthday dinner at Crown. Picture: Getty Images

One man, leaving the Peter MacCallum cancer centre, was rejected for a short ride into the city by the multiple drivers who were parked outside the hospital complex.

The drivers, who each attempted to pass the man on to one of the other taxis waiting in line, refused to put on their meters. One driver demanded $25 for the 1.5km journey to William St.

The man, who had just left a medical appointment, was again rejected from the next cab in line, which prompted a war of words between the drivers.

That driver wound up his window and obstructed the frustrated passenger from taking note of his driver registration.

In another incident, an elderly woman – who holds a Multi Purpose Taxi Program card due to her health circumstances – was refused a cab home to South Yarra from a birthday dinner at Crown.

The predatory behaviour has become rife during high-demand periods such as the Australian Open. Picture: Ian Currie

Her son said he asked more than 10 drivers but all refused to take home. He said all of the taxis at the rank were negotiating fares and asking a minimum of $60 to take her 5km. Some of the drivers tried to claim that their meters weren’t working and she’d need to stump up cash.

Meanwhile, a young woman trying to get home to Northcote from a night out in the city was told to pay $50 up front.

Safe Transport Victoria encouraged passengers to take down the driver’s identification and vehicle number if they refuse to turn on the meter.

A Safe Transport Victoria spokesman said the complaints were closed in an average of 41 days.

“Price gouging has no place in Victoria – unbooked services must use the meter and penalties will apply to anyone found to be doing the wrong thing,” he said.