High-powered panel to review SA taxis
The State Government has announced a high-powered panel to lead its review of the South Australian taxi and chauffeured vehicle industries.
The review, revealed exclusively by InDaily in April, will be overseen by a panel of three – former State Government minister Greg Crafter, SA Tourism Commission board member Jane Jeffreys, and the former state director of Telstra, Michael Luchich.
Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan has also revealed the review’s wide-ranging terms of reference.
The review panel will meet with the industry and other interested parties before preparing a discussion paper for release to the public. After consultation, a final report will be presented to the government.
Mullighan said he expected the review to be completed by the end of the year.
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He said the reforms to the industry “will aim to put the interests of customers first”, while also addressing the needs of “stakeholders and the industry”.
The review would have “broad scope” to examine the industry, and will cover service standards and opportunities for improvement, safety and security, driver remuneration and working conditions, fare and surcharges, training and accreditation and more.
The review, as reported by InDaily, will take a close look at centralised booking services as well as new technologies such as goCatch, Uber and Ingogo.
Mullighan said he wanted to encourage innovation.
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“We want to see innovation in the industry and facilitate competition in our passenger transport industries, while making sure we have a level playing field for all participants,” he said.
Crafter, a long-term minister in the Bannon Government, was a member of the Passenger Transport Board for 10 years.
Jeffreys, a management consultant with expertise in tourism and hospitality, is on the board of the Adelaide Convention Centre and has been on the SATC board since 2008.
Luchich is state director of Dimension Data.
The make-up of the panel gives a clear indication of Mullighan’s directions: he wants the review find ways to bring new technologies and better customer service into the taxi industry, while also improving its contribution to tourism.
Taxi Council president Jim Triantafyllou welcomed the review, as did the president of the Chauffer Vehicle Association, Phil Johnson.
The entry of Uber into the Adelaide market last year was one spark for the review.
Mullighan told InDaily in April that while he didn’t want to deregulate the taxi system, he did want to introduce greater competition – even to the point of potentially allowing controversial ride sharing service Uber X to operate in South Australia, if it agreed compete on an even playing field with taxi services.
After initial hostility last year, the South Australia Government adjusted quickly to the introduction of Uber Black – a service that allows customers to book and pay for trips in registered hire cars through the use of a simple app.
Mullighan negotiated with Uber, which has been in conflict with regulators all over Australia and the world, to allow Uber Black to operate legally here. Uber X allows individuals to make money by offering ride-sharing in their own vehicles via the Uber app.
Mullighan said he wanted the review to find a way for SA to take advantage of the productivity gains offered by new technology and the “sharing economy“. The sharing economy is exemplified by companies such as Uber and Airbnb, which typically use technology to make utilise excess capacity in goods and services.
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