Yahoo Finance Adam Hills rejected by two 'rogue' taxi drivers over 'bad' fare: 'Growing problem'
Exclusive: The comedian expressed his frustration over a dodgy cab act many Aussies know all too well.
Australian comedian Adam Hills had to withdraw cash and offer double a cab fare after being twice rejected by taxi drivers at Sydney Airport because the journey was too short.
Hills, who was born without a right foot, was coming from Melbourne to get a new prosthetic leg fitted at a clinic about four kilometres from the airport when he was told his fare wasn’t good enough by two separate cab drivers.
“The first guy, I got in and he laughed and said ‘it’s too close. Don’t do it to me. Call an Uber instead’,” Hills told Yahoo Finance.
“I just thought, ‘What? You’re telling me to get out of the cab?’ I had already had a delayed flight so I told him to go f**k himself and got into a second cab.
“He just shook his head and said no [as well] but what bothers me is they don’t know how disabled I am. I can move around quite well but what if it was someone with more of a disability?
“I get the guy has been waiting there for two hours, but also, that’s not my fault the prosthetic clinic is close to the airport.”
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The frustrated traveller raised the issue at the rank and was told there’s “not a lot you can do” about these “rogue drivers” who have become all too common in Sydney.
“I ended up taking out cash, getting into a third cab and saying that, ‘I know it’s close but I will pay you extra - in cash’.”
Hills paid $40 for the journey. Yahoo Finance checked a cab website that estimated the fixed price to be $21.26.
The taxi industry has been fighting a battle with rideshare drivers who are squeezing the once-monopolised market. Hills - who has never taken an Uber - was baffled that was the option he was being presented with by the very people hit hard by the new competition.
“I probably would’ve tipped [the first driver],” he said, adding that he handed over an extra $20 to the “brilliant” cabbie who took him back to the airport with no fuss.
Taxi drivers have been under fire from frustrated passengers for well over a year for “rip-off” tactics like refusing to put on their meters, or rejecting fares if they aren’t considered lucrative enough.
But is it legal?
Blair Davies, CEO of the Australian Taxi Industry Association, said absolutely not and savaged the drivers giving the industry a bad name.
“If it’s a short fare, the customer is entitled to that fare. You can’t blame the inconvenience of the distance, even in these economic times,” Davies told Yahoo Finance.
“We have a few drivers who are acting rogue and they are besmirching the reputation of all the good drivers who will take you to a destination that’s not so ideal for them.”
Just got refused by two taxi drivers at Sydney airport cos I wanted to go somewhere nearby. First guy even told me to order an Uber. I had to withdraw cash and offer to pay a third guy extra to take me. Is this normal? Or legal?
— Adam Hills (@adamhillscomedy) October 17, 2023
He said state governments had been trying to tackle the “growing problem” by putting more compliance officers on to fine drivers, which can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
But, in order to get more compliance officers out there, there’s something customers being exploited need to do.
“It’s not the customer’s responsibility to fix this issue but if you do have this experience let us know,” Davies said.
He said the association contacted drivers and told them to get out of the industry if they weren’t going to respect the rules. Repeat offenders can be targeted but a fine can’t be issued just off the back of your complaint.
That’s why customers are encouraged to report to the state government, so hotspots are identified and compliance officers can be sent there to target them.
Hills said he hadn’t even considered reporting the issue because he simply didn’t know. He missed some vital steps that could’ve brought some repercussions for the driver.
Here’s what you need to know.
How to complain about rogue taxi drivers
Take down the cab driver’s number plate and taxi number if possible. It should be in large letters in the font of the cab.
Put together a complaint with the time, date and location that can be reported on the phone or on the state governments’ respective websites.
They are linked here: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.
NSW has even created a dedicated 24-hour hotline on 1800 500 410 to stamp out the issue.
What are my rights in a taxi?
You cannot be refused a fare based on how short a distance you are travelling
Drivers are required to use their meters and honour the price set
Drivers cannot overcharge by demanding a set fare
The issue with combative drivers is that many people feel uncomfortable and will get out rather than push the issue.
Hills said, next time, he might “stick to my guns”.
“I was too grumpy and too old and too tired to deal with that.”
Hills - who is also Australia’s Physical Disability Rugby League team’s representative wanted to speak up in case this happened to someone else more vulnerable.
“It’s not just me having a whinge, what if it was someone with a disability who would struggle to get around,” he said.
“Some people said, ‘You don’t know how long the cab driver has been waiting there’. Well, you don’t know how bad my disability is. I am being taken to a prosthetic clinic. There’s a good chance I won’t be able to walk.”
Interestingly, Hills said he was told about a “simple solution” to the issue by the very driver who took him back to the airport.
Taxi drivers who had been waiting a long time at the airport and subsequently got a short fare were given cards or passes to skip the queue when they returned.
“That makes perfect sense and I know they do it in other countries,” Hills said.
The practice was scrapped after the pandemic and he’s called for it to be reintroduced.
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