OPINION: council taxi scheme must be done right

Worthy program must be reviewed and done the right way

THE City Heart Cabs program is certainly a fantastic thing to have in Ipswich, particularly when you consider the lack of the public transport in some areas of the city.

>>Read about the City Heart Cabs program here

No doubt those 50 to 70 people who use it have become very reliant on it. We know it's tough to make those pension dollars stretch and these subsidised fares would go a long way to helping out these people financially.

And I don't think many Ipswich people would begrudge $15,000 of ratepayers money being to help people with disabilities and our senior citizens around town and give them some more independence.

I'm sure after some further investigation the merit of this program will be clear to the council.

But it has to be done the right way, with a legitimate contract and checks and balances to ensure it is being accessed by the people who are actually eligible to use it.

It appears to have been yet another example of the tangled web of "deals" in place around town that have no formality to them.

Originally published as OPINION: council taxi scheme must be done right