Richard Boyd Barrett: Urges NTA App to Protect Taxi Drivers
Richard Boyd Barrett addressed the Transport Committee about the impact of taxi app companies like Uber on drivers and passengers. He argued that the National Transport Authority should create its own booking app to protect fares, ensure transparency and safeguard drivers' incomes.
Boyd Barrett said Uber and similar companies make enormous profits by driving down the amounts paid to taxi drivers while driving up costs to passengers through add-on charges and dynamic pricing. He described taxi drivers' protests and presented the drivers' proposal as a public-interest solution.
He summarised the taxi drivers' proposal that the NTA should operate a booking app to prevent profiteering, eliminate surge pricing and remove a ‘‘tax on the incomes of taxi drivers’’. He said an NTA app would provide information on available taxis, transparency in fares, and protect drivers' incomes to maintain a safe, regulated, affordable and effective taxi system.
The speech reiterated that multinational taxi app companies have driven down driver earnings and imposed extra charges on passengers via dynamic pricing, prompting calls for regulatory alternatives and clearer fare transparency from the transport regulator.
T-Shock responded that the NTA is an independent regulatory body and that the proposal would need to be examined in the context of existing legislation and potential conflicts of interest. T-Shock said they had not examined the idea in detail and would ask that the NTBA engage to see whether it is possible for the NTA to take on such a role.
Main argument
Boyd Barrett said Uber and similar companies make enormous profits by driving down the amounts paid to taxi drivers while driving up costs to passengers through add-on charges and dynamic pricing. He described taxi drivers' protests and presented the drivers' proposal as a public-interest solution.
Taxi drivers' proposal
He summarised the taxi drivers' proposal that the NTA should operate a booking app to prevent profiteering, eliminate surge pricing and remove a ‘‘tax on the incomes of taxi drivers’’. He said an NTA app would provide information on available taxis, transparency in fares, and protect drivers' incomes to maintain a safe, regulated, affordable and effective taxi system.
Allegations about taxi app firms
The speech reiterated that multinational taxi app companies have driven down driver earnings and imposed extra charges on passengers via dynamic pricing, prompting calls for regulatory alternatives and clearer fare transparency from the transport regulator.
Response from T-Shock and next steps
T-Shock responded that the NTA is an independent regulatory body and that the proposal would need to be examined in the context of existing legislation and potential conflicts of interest. T-Shock said they had not examined the idea in detail and would ask that the NTBA engage to see whether it is possible for the NTA to take on such a role.
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Transcript
T-Shock, Uber and other taxi app companies were in the Transport Committee this week. Uber across the world make enormous profits by driving down the amount that is given to taxi drivers and driving up the cost to passengers through add-on charges and dynamic pricing. Taxi drivers have been forced to protest about this and what they have proposed to benefit the driver, the passenger, the taxpayer and the wider public is that the NTA should have its own app. So we don't have profiteering, we don't have surge pricing, we don't have a tax on the incomes of taxi drivers but the NTA have a booking app which provides information on what is available in taxis, transparency in terms of fares, protects the incomes of taxi drivers to ensure we have a proper, safe, regulated, affordable, effective taxi system. Will you listen to the taxi drivers? T-Shock to respond. T-Shock to respond. Well again look I have to examine that and obviously the NTA is a regulatory body and it's an independent transport regulator. And again something as you have proposed or the taxi drivers have proposed would need to be examined in the context of that legislation, obviously whether it's in a position to actually do what has been suggested. In terms of there could be a potential conflict of interest. I haven't examined it in detail. You've raised it now and I will ask that the NTBA would engage in that and to see whether it's possible for the NTA to do that. Thank you, T-Shock, that concludes.