Since the introduction of the ride-share industry, the value of taxi plates have significantly reduced and many taxi plate owners have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. STRUGGLING taxi plate owners have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars with ride-sharing services heavily impacting the industry.
Many of these “small business operators” met with State MP for Canterbury, Sophie Cotsis and deputy CEO of NSW Taxi Council, Nick Abrahim, to discuss their concerns about the lack of government support and compensation.
Ms Cotsis said many of the owners were from migrant and CALD backgrounds who purchased taxi plates when they trusted Government advertising that encouraged people to buy a safe government-regulated product.
However, since the introduction of the ride-share industry, the value of taxi plates have significantly reduced – with many owners losing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Government has offered some support, including a $20,000 assistance package and has given taxis exclusive access to rank and hail jobs.
“Speaking to these local taxi plate owners and hearing their struggles left me very emotional and in disbelief,” she said.
“The NSW Government has ignored the concerns of taxi plate owners and has left them in the dark with no financial viability.
“For six years, thousands of owners have been treated with disrespect by the NSW Government. The Government is offering them peanuts for plates that were once purchased for over $400,000.”
Ms Cotsis will be writing to the Government on behalf of each taxi plate owner to express their concerns.
She also signed the NSW Taxi Council’s ‘NSW Taxi Industry Pledge’, which supports fair and proper compensation for all taxi licence owners, the continuation of the Passenger Service Levy, and a viable, regulated and reliable taxi industry.
