(Transferred from original entry dated 30th December, 2009)
Last week was not a good week for the Taxi Council of Queensland.
The news about an attempt to stop the Workplace Rights Ombudsman's investigations, exposed that they are very worried about the inquiry's outcome and recommendations. They were considering spending $50,000 and more on an unwinnable injunction attempt.
The Courier Mail story early in the week (Taxi operators in stall bid) totally discredits the Taxi Council of Queensland as a responsible industry representative. They have continually claimed that there is nothing wrong and that the drivers have been inventing stories and now we find they had information about it all along.
Last Friday's story (Taxi fakers nabbed and Cabbie accused of duplicate licences) was more proof of our continual claims and warnings of the practices of some foreign students taxi drivers.
Today, the Courier Mail had the news that the driver charged, Kulbir Singh, seems to have absconded.
These fake licenses are everywhere. Our drivers have seen them, police have been seen carting alledged offenders away and all the while the minister has claimed that no one has been charged, therefore nothing is wrong.
The previous week we had the sexual assault charge on a foreign student driver. One of many this year. Most of them hushed up. He is out on bail.
Minister for Transport, Rachel Nolan, must stand up for this. It's time she got the L plates off and started taking responsibility for her job.
Continuously there have been claims this year of overcharging, dangerous driving, incompetent performance of service and a massive increase in insurance costs to the industry due to "at fault" accidents.
Yet it has all been denied by the Taxi Council of Queensland claiming that CDAQ is just a bunch of disgruntled taxi drivers spreading lies with evil intent of denegrating the industry.
We had to chase the trail of Yellow Car 831 and provide the information to the Courier Mail so that they could photograph and report the near fatal accident of a foreign student driver who was driving for 23 hours straight.
Until then, the accident "did not happen."
All along, the Taxi Council of Queensland was clinging to a hotline that had not been properly promoted and a "Mystery Shopper Survey" as proof that our claims and those of thousands of members of the public were false.
We have just received details of that survey which suggest that it is nothing like it is claimed to be.
We will be thoroughly examining the facts and releasing our findings soon.
Enough is Enough.
2009 has been a horror year for the reputation of the taxi industry in Queensland and the taxi drivers vow that there will be changes next year.
Over the Christmas/ New year break CDAQ with other associates will be composing a submission for Don Brown's inquiry which will parallel a petition we intend to send to parliament demanding reforms. Real ones this time.
2010 will be the year of reform. For all involved we vow it will be "Reform or Removal".
Lee Sims
The Secretary
We Declare 2010 "The Year of Reform for Queensland Taxi Industry".
http://www.cdaq.org.au/
