Apex Cabs banned twice from Sydney Airport after dodgy rebrand attempt

A fleet of 250 taxis slapped with an airport ban for dangerous behaviour has been caught in an audacious attempt to dodge the rules. It comes as fines for rogue drivers triple to $3000.

NSW Taxi Council chief executive Nick Abrahim is cleaning up the taxi industry. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

A taxi firm barred from Sydney Airport for unsafe behaviour rebranded its 250 cabs with new stickers and sent them straight back to the international and domestic terminals – only to have them banned again this week.

The dodgy tactics have been exposed as NSW Transport Minister John Graham cracks down on drivers by tripling the fine from $1000 to $3000 for those who rip off passengers.

Apex Cabs was banned from the airport last Friday after months of dodgy practices by its drivers.

The drivers then headed to their Bankstown base, where their cars were given new stickers, branding them as Elite Zoom Cabs.

A Sydney Airport spokesman said Apex Cabs had “repeatedly” been involved in “unsafe and disruptive” driver behaviour, including “traffic obstruction, tailgating, touting, damage to property” and ignoring safety instructions.

“We have tried to engage with Apex Cabs multiple times over the past six months to resolve these issues and never received a response,” the spokesman said.

Once it was realised the Elite Zoom Cabs vehicles were the same banned taxis with a new sticker on the door, Apex Cabs was told that any brand associated with its Australian Business Number was also subject to the two-year ban.

The airport has supported a list of approved taxi firms as part of a suite of measures the NSW Taxi Council has to run rogues out of the industry.

The newly badged Elite Zoom cabs have been banned from Sydney Airport. Picture: Supplied

Mr Graham has now introduced one of the measures, by tripling to $3000 the fine for ripping off passengers.

“Tripling the penalty for a first-time offence should serve as a big flashing light to any taxi driver doing the wrong thing,” he said.

“The government has zero tolerance for rip-offs and rackets being conducted from the driver’s seat of a cab.”

NSW Taxi Council chief executive Nick Abrahim had campaigned for the fine increase, which comes after it was raised from $300 to $1000 two years ago.

“This shows we are getting really serious about cleaning this industry up,” he said.

“The $3000 fine tackles the unholy trinity of bad behaviour by drivers – refusing a fare, not using the meter and overcharging a passenger.”

Mr Abrahim also welcomed the ban on Apex Cabs from the airport.

“When a company is caught doing the wrong thing, I want them to rethink their behaviour and not try to beat the system by phoenixing their business the next day,” he said.

Mr Abrahim has also championed the $60 set fare from the airport that comes into force in November.

“Taxi drivers are often the first face of Australia that visitors meet when they arrive, and it is important to make a good impression,” he said.

He also wants tougher meter standards that cut out the driver to make them fully automated, and a centralised identification system for drivers.

Since the Taxi Fare Hotline was introduced at the end of 2022, there have been more than 1100 fines issued to drivers.

Apex Cabs did not respond to requests for comment.

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Originally published as Apex Cabs banned twice from Sydney Airport after dodgy rebrand attempt