Melbourne, Sydney Airports counter rogue cabbies with fixed or guaranteed fares
Australia's biggest airports have unveiled new weapons against taxi scams, promising guaranteed fares and an end to arrival nightmares for millions of passengers.
Australia’s biggest gateways will roll out new procedures in coming weeks to help passengers avoid being ripped off by rogue cabbies giving others in the industry a bad name.
Melbourne Airport is preparing to trial a new taxi booking system that will see travellers pay a fixed fare upfront in an effort to deter illegal taxi touts.
Taxi and payment services company A2B is leading the trial, that involves three taxi kiosks in the Qantas domestic terminal.
Passengers can enter their destination address at the kiosks to secure and pay a fixed fare upfront.
They will then be issued with a printed or digital receipt showing the guaranteed price, before being directed to a dedicated bay to meet their driver.
Silver Top, Black and White, 13cabs and Silver Service are all involved in the trial beginning on Friday October 24.
Melbourne Airport chief of ground transport, property and retail Jai McDermott said it was designed to deter unregistered drivers who attempted to stitch up customers in the terminal.
“Taxi touts rip off passengers and deprive honest drivers of work, so we’re doing everything in our power to stamp out the practice,” Mr McDermott said.
“People shouldn’t have to haggle with a cabbie over a fare or their destination when they come to the airport and this trial aims to eliminate that pain point.”
He was hopeful the trial would add “a sense of security and certainty” to the process of catching a cab from Tullamarine.
An A2B spokesman said the vast majority of drivers were honest, hardworking professionals but a few dodgy operators had damaged public trust.
To that end, the spokesman said the taxi booking kiosk would set clear expectations from the moment a passenger stepped up to the rank.
“It’s about fairness, accountability, and making taxi travel as seamless as possible,” he said.
The Melbourne trial comes as Sydney Airport prepares to begin a trial of $60 fixed fares for passengers travelling from the gateway to the central business district.
Starting from November 3, the fixed fare is inclusive of road tolls and airport ground transport access fees.
It follows frequent complaints of taxi drivers overcharging for short trips, refusing to use the meter and adding unexpected and unwarranted charges at the end of the journey.
As part of preparations for the 12 month trial, new signage has been installed around the airport and cab companies have made changes to meters inside taxis.
Sydney Airport chief executive Scott Charlton said the trial would put the city on par with the likes of New York and Paris, and help improve the passenger experience.
“More than 40 million people pass through Sydney Airport every year and for many, their first experience of Australia is when they get into a taxi,” said Mr Charlton.
“Knowing how much they will pay to get to the city is a positive step.”
New South Wales Taxi Council CEO Nick Abrahim said pending the success of the trial, they would like to see set fares extended to other locations across Sydney as well as for trips coming back to the airport.
TripAdvisor rates Sydney Airport cabbies a mere 1.1 stars due to numerous examples of overcharging, with many reviewers suggesting arrivals should book an Uber instead.
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