Victoria government issues $1700 fines to Uber ride-sharing drivers as media
gaffe surfaces
May 8, 2014 by Ben Grubb
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/smartphone-apps/uber-ridesharing-service-under-investigation-as-public-warned-off-app-20140425-zqzed.html
The Victorian government is cracking down on the "ride-sharing" component of
the smartphone app Uber by issuing $1700 fines to drivers.
The app allows any motorist - not necessarily a licensed taxi or hire-car
driver - to receive money for providing lifts, in addition to offering
authorised taxi and private hire-car services.
Representatives of Victoria's Taxi Services Commission have been using the app
to take rides, thus identifying drivers in order to issue fines.
Commissioner Graeme Samuel said the commission had sent "well over" 30 fines to
drivers and that there were more to be issued.
The crackdown comes as advice on how to deal with Fairfax Media questions over
the fines was accidentally contained in an email to the publisher.
"Simon: story on the fines is about to break in Vic," Uber Sydney general
manager David Rohrsheim told his Melbourne counterpart, Simon Rossi, after
forwarding Fairfax questions to him.
"I'd recommend not answering the question and instead issuing a pro uber pro
choice pro city pro innovation message. If you give him just one sentence, Ben
will publish it," Mr Rohrsheim told Mr Rossi.
The advice resulted in Mr Rossi issuing a statement along those lines to
Fairfax, which accidentally contained Mr Rohrsheim's media advice.
"We're providing economic opportunity and affordable, safe transportation. Is
this something Melbourne wants to stop?" Mr Rossi told Fairfax.
"Riders and drivers are flocking to the Uber platform precisely because we are
solving a problem that has stood for decades in Melbourne - the inability to
get a safe, affordable, reliable ride when and where needed.
"Consumers and drivers have told us they love ride-sharing with Uber. Cities
that choose not to embrace Uber's technology are missing out."
One driver published his fine on the Australian Whirlpool broadband forum
website. "I have just received a fine of $1732 from the Victorian Taxi
Commission for driving a UberX," he said. UberX is the name of Uber's
ride-sharing service.
More than $50,000 in fines have been issued.
As yet, no action has been taken against Uber in Melbourne, but Mr Samuel would
not rule this out.
"Uber could have avoided all of this if they had just come in and seen us three
weeks ago," he said.
"It just leaves me absolutely gobsmacked the way they have dealt with this."
Mr Samuel said the company was not complying with Victorian law. He said he was
due to meet Uber's Melbourne representatives next week.
The commissioner and the Victorian Transport Minister Terry Mulder had
previously warned people against using Uber's ride-sharing service.
Mr Samuel previously stated there could be a place for ride-sharing if drivers
were properly licensed and had been through checks.
"What we want to do is to facilitate competition and we see Uber as a source of
competition," Mr Samuel said. "But it needs to be competition that is on
grounds to protect the public interest."
On Thursday, NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian said Uber's ride-sharing
service was operating within a "grey area".
Roads and Maritime Services were investigating, Ms Berejiklian said.
"At the moment what we are doing is looking to see whether those drivers are
classified as prohibited drivers or whether they're not.
"So RMS is currently investigating into that and I'm looking forward to their
report in the near future."
NSW Premier Mike Baird said the matter was something the NSW government had to
consider.
"There's an evolving modern world that is providing opportunities and how you
adapt - the government needs to consider that."
--
Cheers,
Stephen.
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