Page 4 - drive a2b july 2020 web

From our Editor

While the majority of Australia is coping well ESC Draft Report
with the COVID-19 crisis and has relaxed many
of its restrictions, Victoria has not been so The Essential Services Commission (ESC) has
released its draft decision for the Victorian
lucky. Victoria is back in Stage 3 lockdown Unbooked Taxi Fare Review 2020. Its draft decision
from midnight 8 July for six weeks. Victoria's is:
Premier Daniel Andrews said "This is not just an • to keep maximum fares for unbooked taxis
inconvenience - this is a pandemic", and we all unchanged
must truly remember this fact.
• for the use of ‘time and distance’ tariffs to
Just because you want this to go away, you have remain optional for now.
been tested and were negative once or you are In their report the ESC stated that it "considers that
bored with staying at home - does not mean you consumers and the unbooked taxi industry will be
can be complacent with the restrictions and the better off if we keep maximum fares unchanged.
guidelines around staying safe during this crisis. Given the current impact of the coronavirus
Everyone must stay home, get tested if feeling pandemic on the commercial passenger vehicles
unwell, stay hygienically clean, keep their taxi, industry and the uncertainty about its future
hire car or ride share vehicle sanitised, and abide impact, keeping maximum fares unchanged will
by the restrictions. provide some level of stability for consumers and
unbooked taxi service providers."
If we follow the rules, we will be seeing a What the ESC is saying is that the consumer does
reduction in the COVID-19 cases very soon.
not want to see a price increase and that it has

4 DRIVE A2B magazine · www.drivea2b.com.au · July 2020