Page 18 - DRIVE A2B April 2020

VICTORIA
NEWS R OD BAR T ON, MP

There are

things you

can do to help

yourself

Covid-19 has turned the world
upside down and the forecast
is pretty rough for all small
businesses. At the time of writing
at the end of March our hire car
industry was all but shut down,
with business events and non-
essential travel on hold.

This has left taxis at the coal face for much of
March, transporting arrivals from the airport until
compulsory quarantine came into effect. It’s
Rod Barton MLC essential that we keep taxis on the road and give
Leader our most vulnerable, elderly citizens and people
Transport Matters Party
with a disability, a safe transport option.
My office has been working closely with the
Victorian Government and industry associations
around Australia, asking for support at state
and federal levels for the taxi industry and we
hope by the time this goes to print there will be
specific help to keep drivers working.
We’ve also put pressure on the Booking Service
Providers and Networks to cop some of the
losses and support their drivers by reducing their
fees; some have done better than others.
But for those who find themselves out of work or
out of income there are many things you can do
to help see you through the next few months.

Don’t wait until it’s too late, get onto some of
these things today. But, most of all stay positive,
we are all in this together. Look after yourself,
your family and your neighbours. Together we
will find a way through these hard times.
18 DRIVE A2B magazine · www.drivea2b.com.au · April 2020