"Do you know it costs extra...?"

A complaint about taxi service in Vic-bloody-toria:

Tuesday 11th October 2007

Director
Victorian Taxi Directorate
PO Box 666
North Melbourne Vic-bloody-toria 3051

RE: CLARIFICATION OF TARIFF RULES DETERMINING RULES FOR WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE TAXIS

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to request written clarification on the rules that drivers of wheelchair accessible taxis (Toyota Hi Ace or equivalent fitted with electric hoists, fold-up seats and clamps/straps that secure electric wheelchairs to the floor) apply in determining whether they will charge the 'standard' urban tariff of $1.52 per kilometre (or 52 cents per minute if the speed is below 21 kilometres per hour) as opposed to the 'high occupancy' urban tariff of $2.28 per kilometre (or 78 cents per minute if the speed is below 20 kilometres per hour) as indicated on the Department of Infrastructure's web page, Regulators and Licensing – Taxi Fares in Victoria.

On Sunday 26th August this year, my partner, Francis (who has cerebral palsy and uses an electric wheelchair for mobility), and I summoned an accessible taxi from the rank at the Virgin Blue arrival terminal at Melbourne Airport. At this time Francis had a vigorous discussion with the Wilson Security taxi rank attendant who seemed do have assumed Francis had an intellectual impairment in addition to her obvious physical one.
“Do you know it costs extra?” he asked repeatedly.
Francis replied that, “of course it costs extra. Everything costs extra when you have a disability...”
The driver of that taxi acknowledged the inequity of the situation and told us he would only charge the 'standard' tariff for taking us into Albert Park despite the fact that the 'high occupancy' tariff that normally applies when you request the larger vehicle as opposed to a standard car/wagon.
“That's odd”, we thought, “it's not as if we can get Francis' 92kg electric wheelchair and our luggage into the rear compartment of a wagon, let alone the boot of a car...”
As can be seen from the copy of the receipt (attached), this journey cost us $51.90 (including CityLink tolls).

This practice of charging a higher tariff when a wheelchair accessible taxi is specifically ordered by someone who doesn't have the option of using a standard vehicle is a clear case of discrimination on the ground of disability and a contravention of the Disability Discrimination Act (1992) s. 24. 1 (b) and (c) which states:
It is unlawful for a person who, whether for payment or not, provides goods or services, or makes facilities available, to discriminate against another person on the ground of the other person’s disability or a disability of any of that other person’s associates:...
(b) in the terms or conditions on which the first-mentioned person provides the other person with those goods or services or makes those facilities available to the other person; or
(c)in the manner in which the first-mentioned person provides the other person with those goods or services or makes those facilities available to the other person.

Francis and I booked another wheelchair accessible taxi for our return journey to Melbourne Airport on Thursday 30th August. On this occasion, I took the opportunity to interrogate the driver to some length on Victorian taxi tariffs. He lead me to understand that people in wheelchairs who regularly use taxis generally possess an M card (sic) that covers a $10.00 loading and unloading charge as well as half the taxi fare at the 'standard' tariff and that as Francis is from interstate and doesn't have an M card, she must pay the $10.00 loading and unloading fee and the 'high occupancy' tariff because she specifically booked a wheelchair accessible taxi instead of a standard car/wagon (or first available) taxi.This journey – identical to the first – cost Francis and I a total of $82.70. This represents a 59% surcharge for the privilege of travelling in a Victorian wheelchair accessible taxi.

Francis and I were somewhat perplexed by this. In Queens-bloody-land, the high occupancy tariff is only applied “where the hiring does not involve the carriage of a person using a wheelchair” (emphasis included) as documented in Application of Taxi Fares - Queensland Metered Taxi Fare Structure.

I have since checked the Victorian Department of Infrastructure's web page, referenced above, and found that the high occupancy tariff applies “for taxis carrying six or more passengers, and for when a larger than standard taxi is required (excluding hirings for people in a wheelchair)”.

Now, our booking of a wheelchair accessible taxi on the 30th August this year to take us from the Sebel Hotel in Albert Park to Melbourne Airport was explicitly made on the basis that it was a hiring for a person in a wheelchair and therefore subject to the standard urban tariff outlined above. Similarly, our previous request for a wheelchair accessible taxi to take us from Melbourne Airport to Albert Park was also explicitly made on the basis that it was a hiring for a person in a wheelchair and therefore subject to the standard urban tariff.

Why then did both taxi drivers (and the Wilson Security taxi rank attendant) feel they were entitled to assert that we had to pay the higher tariff? Do the rules, as related by the taxi driver above, allow the gouging of people with disability from interstate (or overseas) because they are likely to be unfamiliar with the rules and not in possession of a 'Victorian Taxi Directorate Multi Purpose Taxi Program Member Card'?

If they do, Francis and I intend to file a complaint in the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

If, on the other hand, the rules are as related by the Department of Infrastructure's web site, and people in wheelchairs should not be charged the 'high occupancy' tariff, an education program needs to be put in place and I will be seeking assurances of this from yourself, the taxi company and the minister that one is implemented.

Please provide me with a written clarification of the rules for determining the correct tariff in the case where people in wheelchairs summon Victorian wheelchair accessible taxis from airport ranks and with a phone booking along with details of the steps you are taking to eliminate this blatant discrimination.

Yours in Anticipation,

etc.

Their response in a future post.