- Taxi and Ride Share drivers repeatedly refusing jobs or over charging to face loss of authorisation.
- TMR taking tough stance on law breakers.
- Crackdown continues following community complaints.
Cowboy Cabbies and rogue Ride Share drivers will face the full force of the law to stop Queensland customers from being ripped off.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads has reviewed the legislation and will begin suspending driver authorisations on public interest grounds for repeat offenders.
Rogue drivers caught overcharging or refusing service could be issued with a notice of proposal to suspend their accreditation.
Repeat offenders issued with multiple Penalty Infringement Notices (PIN) will face even longer periods off the road.
Rogue drivers will have the opportunity to lodge a right of reply before the suspension is introduced.
TMR has the discretion to determine the suspension period which can range from 1 month to indefinitely, depending on the severity of offending.
The crackdown follows an increase in customer complaints and covert compliance operations.
More than 750 PINs were issued to Taxi and Ride Share drivers between November 2022 and January 2023. The offences included charging above the maximum fare, refusing to provide service, stopping in non-designated areas, and failing to display correct authorisations.
The compliance activity continues, and more than 600 further infringement notices have been issued to June 2023.
