By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS and SAMANTHA ROBIN
DO YOU THINK THE TAXI ZONES SHOULD BE CHANGED? VOTE IN OUR POLL, SCROLL TO BELOW THIS STORY TO POST A COMMENT, OR COMMENT ON TWITTER @DANDENONGWEEKLY.
HAILING a weekend cab at night may soon become a futile exercise in Greater Dandenong, Dandenong Taxis and its drivers say.
Cabbies with a Dandenong-zone license say a plan to break up their local monopoly will “decimate” customer service and threaten their livelihoods.
The zoning – which covers Greater Dandenong, Casey and western parts of Cardinia Shire – protects cabbies from competition from metropolitan-licensed drivers.
In a recently released taxi industry inquiry draft report, former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Allan Fels recommended that the local monopolies should be broken and Frankston and Dandenong joined to the Greater Melbourne metropolitan zone.
Owner-operator Kulwant Sekhon, who operates two taxis, said it would mean more Dandenong cabbies would head to the CBD for bigger fares, particularly during large sports and cultural events.
“Drivers won’t service this area as well. They’ll go to the airport and the city for bigger fares and won’t hang around for the elderly to go to shopping centres or the doctors.
“I’ll try not to do that. I love the area but I can see guys going into the city for $70-$80 fares instead of $8 jobs.”
He said another recommendation to reduce cab licences to $20,000 would devalue licences bought by Dandenong cabbies for an average of $500,000.
Some have borrowed against their home mortgages to pay off licences while earning about $600-$800 before tax in 60-hour working weeks. Mr Sekhon was hoping to pay off his two licences within 15 years, and so eventually double his income.
Dandenong Taxis general manager Paul Smith said the 58-year-old business could be threatened by bigger operators such as Silver Top and Black Cabs moving into the zone.
Professor Fels’ report stated it was “difficult to explain” why metropolitan-zoned cabs should be prevented from taking fares in the outer-suburban zones.
Public submissions on the report are open until July 13. Details: taxiindustryinquiry.vic.gov.au.
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