More than 520 taxi drivers in New South Wales have been disciplined for refusing to use their meters or overcharging, with authorities progressing more than 300 cases against just one operator in six months.
As the NSW taxi watchdog warns of an expected uptick in rogue behaviour from new taxi drivers entering the workforce, Guardian Australia can reveal the new taxi fare hotline has been flooded with thousands of complaints in its first six months.
The complaints data, provided to Guardian Australia after a months-long delay because some taxi operators opposed its release, shows that from the beginning of December 2022 to June 2023 the watchdog received 1,047 complaints with enough detail to identify drivers and refer the cases to operators to issue refunds and discipline drivers. These complaints to the NSW point to point transport commissioner relate to drivers not using their meters, overcharging customers, attempting to negotiate upfront fares and refusing shorter trips.
One passenger complained about getting a cab from a rank at an inner-Sydney suburb to the airport – a fare that normally costs $35-40. They said the driver refused to turn on his meter, demanded an upfront fare of $117 and kicked them out of the cab when they refused. They are one of the complaints to the commission.
The data shows GM Cabs, one of Sydney’s largest taxi companies, had 342 complaints against its drivers progressed during the six-month period – the highest of any operator – followed by Combined (13Cabs, Silver Service), with 282.
While the number of complaints largely correlates with the size of the company, some newer, smaller providers are disproportionately represented in the complaints data.
Black & White Cabs had the third-highest number of complaints against it progressed with 118, while newer operator Mokap (which operates under the brand Tuk Tuk) was fourth-highest with 62 and Taxi1 had 44. Express Transport Solution (XCabs) and Premier Cabs each had 39 fare complaints against them progressed, while Legion Cabs ranked eighth with 33 complaints.
In addition to the hotline, the commission’s crackdown on rogue drivers also included plainclothes officers entering taxis and issuing fines to drivers who refused to use their meters or overcharged. Between December 2022 and May 2023, officers issued 155 fines to cabbies.
During the first six months of the crackdown, five drivers were caught out more than once breaching meter rules, the data obtained by Guardian Australia shows. In June, the government increased the penalty amount from $300 to $1,000. However, the behaviour continued throughout the year.
By December, more than 520 drivers had been hit with disciplinary action – either being forced into retraining, suspended from working or being sacked from their companies. The taxi watchdog would not give an exact figure.
Anthony Wing, the NSW point to point transport commissioner, said 90% of complaints to the hotline had been actioned by taxi companies, while about 200 further complaints remain under investigation.
“I continue to make it clear to taxi companies – they need to play their part in overseeing their own drivers, and they are responsible for investigating and responding to hotline complaints,” Wing said. “My team are closely monitoring taxi companies to ensure they are dealing with complaints appropriately.”
Wing said the taxi industry “sees a lot of new drivers enter the industry” during this time of year and the commission was working “to ensure new drivers understand clearly what is expected of them”.
“I do want to reinforce that it is a minority of drivers doing the wrong thing, and we want them to change their behaviour, or they have no place in the industry,” Wing said.
Taxi companies who spoke to the Guardian acknowledged the scale of the issue and lamented that the deregulation of the taxi industry in 2017 has meant operators no longer have access to a database showing a taxi driver’s record.
“In the past, if a driver had a bad record, it would be listed against his profile and would prevent him from driving for any networks,” GM Cabs said in a statement. “Now, if a driver has a bad record with GM Cabs, they can simply leave and repeat the offence with another network. [It’s] a repeated circle we’re seeing too often today.
“GM Cabs wants to make its stance clear: we do not tolerate drivers who fail to follow the rules.
“As a taxi network, we hate what it’s becoming. We need to push for regulation again. Taxi drivers should be made accountable for their actions.”
Nick Abrahim, the NSW Taxi Council’s chief executive, agreed deregulation had reduced driver accountability. He called for a centralised accreditation process – whether run by the government or the council – so disciplinary action could include a driver being booted from the taxi industry and rideshare platforms, not just one company.
“Let’s go back to one authority and get serious about sending a message to drivers, because right now, if they’re taken off a network, it’s just as easy for them to go up the road to the next company,” Abrahim said.
Kurt Murphy, the chief executive of Legion Cabs, said most complaints of meter refusal and overcharging occurred on trips from the airport. “It’s something we desperately try and stop, it’s a very small minority doing it.”
Murphy said Legion drivers drivers were warned and closely monitored following a first complaint. A second complaint will see the driver forced back into training and go a week without radio work from Legion’s network. A third strike will see the driver banned from driving under Legion’s network for 12 months.
Murphy said two drivers – in a company of more than 300 – had been kicked from the network for meter-related reasons in 2023.
St George Cabs said it holds a weekly judiciary to investigate complaints which in most cases finds in favour of a complainant, with the driver forced to refund the full fare.
13Cabs, Black and White, Mokap, Taxi1, Express Transport Solutions and Premier Cabs did not respond to requests for comment.
