Claims family charged $30 for four-block taxi trip

DARWIN Radio Taxis has denied unfairly charging a family $30 to drive them just four blocks — from Mitchell St to McMinn St

Darwin Radio Taxis has denied unfairly charging a family $30 to drive them just four blocks — from Mitchell St to McMinn St.

DARWIN Radio Taxis has denied unfairly charging a family $30 to drive them just four blocks — from Mitchell St to McMinn St.

Darwin resident Leah Potter said she saw a family “begging” the driver of a Darwin Radio Taxis cab to give them a refund after he charged them $30 for the short trip across Darwin CBD on Sunday night.

Ms Potter alleged that when the family arrived at their destination on McMinn St, the driver charged $30 to their BasicsCard and attempted to drive off.

“I saw him charge it,” she said.

“That taxi driver was driving away without offering any change … they were left with $7 to their name.”

Ms Potter said she had to physically stand in front of the cab to make the driver stop, and it was only then that he called head office and attempted to get the family a refund.

It’s an accusation Darwin Radio Taxis manager Imran Nadeem strongly denies.

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He said the family got in the taxi on Mitchell St and asked to be taken to three different stops.

Mr Nadeem said the driver charged the family $30 in advance for the trip but when they got to the first stop — they decided they no longer wanted to travel further and asked for a $20 cash refund.

“It’s against our merchant terms and conditions to give cash out for BasicsCard members — it’s illegal,” he said.

Mr Nadeem said passengers often asked to get cash out from their BasicsCard — which they would then use to buy things that weren’t allowed on the card itself.

Mr Nadeem said all BasicsCard refunds had to be processed through their head office and Centrelink.

He said he was currently working on getting the family their refund.

However, Ms Potter said the family told her the driver of the cab knew they only wanted to travel a short distance.

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“He picked them up from Mitchell St and they told him they wanted to go to McMinn St,” she said.

“He knew they were only going four blocks. It was an act of deliberate deception.

“Why did he try to drive off without giving them any change at all?”

Mr Nadeem said receipts showed the family paid in advance for the trip.

“I have evidence here they started the meter at 9.11pm and stopped it at 9.18pm,” he said.

He said a public post about the incident on social media could damage the already struggling Darwin taxi business.

“Accusations like this can be really damaging,” he said.

“We’re an industry that is already struggling, in a town that’s struggling.”