The NSW Taxi Council says it wants Qld to change its rules. Slightly edited file image courtesy of ANDREW KACIMAIWAI
It’s been referred to as ‘cabs of origin’ – Qld taxi drivers operating south of the state border while NSW taxis cannot operate north.
And NSW wants Queensland to ‘correct’ the cross-border legal anomaly in the wake of taxi industry complaints.
The NSW government says that at present Qld drivers can pick up a fare in NSW but their taxi drivers are virtually banned under Qld law (outside a handful of dedicated ranks for NSW-bound passengers).
NSW Transport Minister John Graham (Labor) is asking Queensland counterpart Brent Mickelberg (LNP) for an immediate change to allow passengers covered by the NSW Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme to book a return trip with their preferred NSW operator.
“We both require a level playing field; that is what we are calling on Queensland to help us provide when it comes to cross-border transport,” Graham says.
He says the current laws on point-to-point services give Queensland cabbies an unfair advantage over their NSW counterparts.
The NSW Government says its taxi drivers are economically disadvantaged as tourists and residents use the Gold Coast Airport as a gateway to northern NSW.
The state’s taxi industry says it is upset that Qld cabbies can operate in NSW during big events like Bluesfest in Byron Bay.
“We believe … that state border anomalies should not exist in Australia in 2025,” Graham says.
“This results in a poorer service for visitors getting into our state and, at times, distress for NSW residents who need medical treatment in Queensland and rely on the NSW Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme to return home.”
NSW residents who need wheelchair accessible taxis for medical appointments on the Gold Coast currently cannot book their own trusted NSW drivers for return journeys and often endure extended wait times.
The NSW subsidy scheme is also not so readily accepted by Queensland cabbies.
CROSS-BORDER FORUM
The NSW Point to Point Transport Commissioner raised the issue at the recent
Cross Border Tourism and Transport Forum. The government says talks between
the NSW Taxi Council and Gold Coast operators revealed support for allowing
NSW drivers to make return trips for NSW passengers with disabilities.
NSW Taxi Council chief executive Nick Abrahim welcomes the move.
“We would like to see this measure extended to allow for all passengers to be given the opportunity to return in a NSW Taxi for all trips that cross the border,” he says.
NSW Minister for Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison says there should not be any inter-state competition for access to transport.
“Access to critical services should not depend on where you live but that is the reality for some people living in the border communities of NSW and Queensland.”
Aitchison says the disparity also hurts her state’s small businesses in the taxi, tourism and hospitality sectors.
“We need a level playing field to ensure people across the Queensland and NSW borders can access services and operators are playing under one set of rules when to comes to fares.”
