‘Inevitable’: Uber set to be legalised in NSW, according to report

IN WHAT could be a huge win for the ride-sharing service, UberX may be on the verge of being legalised in NSW. But the Premier says it’s too early to make a call.

Major win for Uber in taxi war

THE NSW opposition leader has said the Government has waited far too long to regulate ride sharing services amid reports UberX is set to be legalised in the state.

However, NSW Premier Mike Baird has said an announcement will only be made on ride sharing once Cabinet has considered an independent report on technological changes in the industry.

The NSW Taxi Council said proposals to regulate ride sharing services were “premature”.

Changes to the taxi industry allowing the controversial car sharing service will be formally announced by the state government later on Monday, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Under the changes, UberX drivers will be required to pay a licence fee while taxi drivers will receive compensation for losing exclusivity.

The change was seen as “inevitable”, a Government source was quoted as saying.

If NSW does give the green light to ride sharing, it will follow the ACT which last month became the first Australian government to legalise and regulate ride sharing with the online transport business.

UberX, where private car owners offer rides to the public, is distinct to the standard — and legal — Uber service that connects established taxi drivers to passengers by way of an app.

In the capital, ride sharing vehicles and drivers have to be accredited and registered with attention paid to criminal records, driving histories and five-year health assessments.

Vehicles must also pass safety checks and be fully insured with compulsory third-party and property insurance requirements. UberX drivers are not able to pick up passengers on Canberra’s streets, nor are they allowed to pick up from taxi ranks.

Similar to the ACT, under the changes flagged in NSW, UberX drivers will be forced to undergo more safety checks and pay licence fees, the Telegraph reports.

But this morning, Premier Baird tried to hose down speculation an announcement was imminent. He told 2GB Radio that an independent report into ride sharing had been commissioned “but it is yet to go beyond that, so obviously that report will be considered as part of the due process of government and go to cabinet in good time.”

NSW opposition leader, Luke Foley, said the Government had hoped Uber would go away but “it was never going to work”.

“The Government has waved the white flag today and has recognised Uber is here to stay,” he said this morning.

“We ought to be smart about how we regulate [ride sharing] and I welcome that belated recognition from the Government there’s no other way forward.”

Greens NSW MP and transport spokeswoman Dr Mehreen Faruqi welcomed reports Uber would be legalised and said the NSW Government had “finally gotten with the times”.

“You can’t just ban these services out of existence, and to be frank, the legal limbo has gone on for too long already,” she said.

“Provided that stakeholders have been consulted widely, including taxi drivers, the proper safety checks are in place, and licences awarded only to appropriate services, this is good news.”

The NSW Taxi Council has been running a campaign called ‘ride sharing — it’s not worth the risk’ highlighting what it says are the dangers of using the unregulated services.

In a statement, the peak body for the state’s taxi industry said they had sought “urgent clarification” on the reports which appeared to be “premature to a proper Government announcement on this complex and critical issue”.

“The NSW Taxi Council is not opposed to well-considered reform of the NSW taxi industry and the point to point transport sector generally,” said the statement. “However, any such reform must ensure safe, reliable and quality taxi transport services through a proper and enforceable level playing field for all point to point transport operators.”