Vic: Safety screens, pre-payment deal ends taxi blockade

AAP General News (Australia)
04-30-2008
Vic: Safety screens, pre-payment deal ends taxi blockade

MELBOURNE, April 30 AAP - Safety screens and prepaid fares at night are to be introduced
in Melbourne taxis under an agreement reached between the Victorian government and protesting
taxi drivers today.

Victorian Transport Minister Lynne Kosky said the measures were intended to ease tensions
that can arise between drivers and passengers, particularly early in the morning.

The changes were agreed to at a meeting between the minister and representatives of
Melbourne taxi drivers who had staged a sometimes angry blockade in one of the city's
busiest intersections since last night.

The protest followed the near-fatal stabbing of a taxi driver by a passenger in inner
suburban Clifton Hill yesterday morning.

Ms Kosky said mandatory pre-paid fares for trips between 10pm and 5am (AEST) would
be introduced within the next couple of months as part of existing licensing agreements.

She said passengers would pay a set fare at the start of a trip, with the meter still running.

The passenger or driver would then pay the difference as shown on the meter at the
end of the trip.

"The drivers have agreed that they will provide an amount for the fare and then at
the end of the journey you can actually see whether that's the exact fare, if it's lower
they'll actually provide that refund," she said.

"But it does mean that people aren't doing a runner from cabs when they should appropriately
be paying for fares.

"I think the introduction of the safety screens and the pre-payment for evening fares
will actually ease some of the areas where the tension does arise and then escalates."

Ms Kosky said many of the drivers were unaware the government had been trialling safety
screens and they were already in production.

"We aim to have those screens rolled out within the next 12 months but (I'm) hoping
to have them rolled out prior to Christmas," she said.

Each screen will cost between $1,000 and $1,500 and they will be fitted in up to 4,000 taxis.

Drivers will have the choice to have them fitted in their vehicles.

The Victorian government will share the cost of the screens with taxi operators, Ms Kosky said.

Ms Kosky said she had agreed to meet with the drivers' representatives again within
the next two weeks to further thrash out some of the issues.

AAP ce/pmu/cjh/cdh

KEYWORD: STAB DEAL LEAD

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