Cabbies threaten to boycott airport over fee rise

[Ryan N]

Cabbies threaten to boycott airport over fee rise
Scott Rochfort
March 20, 2009 - 12:43PM

Taxi drivers are threatening to stage a two-day boycott of Sydney Airport after the Macquarie-run airport announced its plans to slug passengers a $3 fee from next weekend.

The airport enraged taxi drivers this morning by announcing its plans to increase its so-called ground transport access fee by 50 cents, a move the Taxi Drivers Association estimates could raise an extra $1.8 million a year for the airport's owners.

"We try to be reasonable but when we're pushed to the limit we get unreasonable,'' said the president of the Australian Taxi Drivers Association, Michael Jools.

The association has called for a meeting of taxi drivers this afternoon to discuss whether to stage a boycott of the airport on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

Sydney Airport argues the fee would help fund an expansion of the taxi holding area at the international and domestic terminals, installing more e-tag readers, building a new Unigas station, "providing a non-denominational prayer room'' and funding "minor improvements to domestic roadways''.

Some have questioned the move, given the airport, according to the Taxi Drivers Association, already makes more than $9 million a year from the fee. It estimates there are around 10,000 taxi rides that leave the airport every day.

Tensions between taxi drivers have risen in recent weeks partly over - what the association claims - have been faulty e-tag readers.

The latest spat comes less than two years after the airport raised the fee from $2 to $2.50.

"Around half the people who travel to the airport travel by cabs and the whole system out there is unreasonable in relation to taxi-cabs,'' said Mr Jools.

He said the price hike was especially insensitive given the current economic difficulties.

srochfort@smh.com.au

SMH

[Nigel C]

It would be interesting to see if the cabbies are full of hot air on their threat to boycott for 2 days, and if they're not then see whether there are many 'rogue' cabbies out there who would continue to work through the airport irrespective of any 'sanctioned' boycott.

[Hugh Jarse]

What a pack of whingers those taxi drivers are. We all know that any cost increase will be immediately passed on to the customer by the taxi companies.

Sure, people will grunt and groan over the charge, but let's face it - thousands of people per day NEED to use taxis out of KSA.

Macquarie are nothing but a bunch of greedy pigs.:mad:

[Owen H]

I agree with your sentiments regarding Macquarie, but the cabbies get upset because they know they are being used as a free way to collect an airport tax. They don't like getting used by Macquarie any more than the fare paying public do.

Macquarie will just claim, like they usually do, that the increase in fee will be used to enhance facilities for the drivers... which makes you wonder what they do with the other $2.50 worth of fee.

[NickN]

Talk about gouging, isn't there a point the government or government body can step in to rule if the increase is fair?

Macquarie arent the Millionaires Factory, they are the Greed Factory. The public need to boycott Macquarie in general, not just the airport. Macquaire don't know where to stop and draw the line, these increases will never end.

[Nigel C]

The public need to boycott Macquarie in general...

Interesting. Do you know how many pies Macquarie has their finger in when it comes to infrastructure around Sydney? No doubt this is just the tip of the iceberg, but they currently own stakes in the M2, M4, M5 and M7 toll roads.

That's a lot of places that a lot of the Sydney population need for their day to day activities.

[NickN]

Interesting. Do you know how many pies Macquarie has their finger in when it comes to infrastructure around Sydney? No doubt this is just the tip of the iceberg, but they currently own stakes in the M2, M4, M5 and M7 toll roads.

That's a lot of places that a lot of the Sydney population need for their day to day activities.


Does anyone else find it disturbing that Macquarie has an interest in just about every major form of infrastructure crucial to this city?

They can hold the public to ransom and the only choice we have is to suffer or pay their ransom.

Is the government responsible for Macquarie being allowed to have such a monopoly?

[Peter Agatsiotis]

I read in today's Daily Telegraph that the limo drivers blocked access to the domestic terminal for 45 mins yesterday.

This was in response to the airport management locking them out of a waiting area used by the hire cars. This 'area' has been relocated so that the area in dispute can allow construction of a larger taxi holding area.

They were already complaining about lack of toilets and the need for a flight information monitor at this location.

The drivers said they would blockade the terminal again today if this area was 'closed' today.

[James B]

I read in today's Daily Telegraph that the limo drivers blocked access to the domestic terminal for 45 mins yesterday....

So thats what caused the chaos last night. I know a friday night is always busy around the domestic terminal but when I flew back in last night at about 6:30pm the roads leading into the airport were at standstill, with a lot of the silver service cabs parked off on the side of the road or blocking some of the lanes leading out. I noticed as I went out that there was a large number of the boys (&girls) in blue trying to get things flowing again, no doubt they had been called in by Macquarie. Using tax payer's dollars to fight their battles why could they not make use of their own crack squad of enforcement officers that patrol the curb side :rolleyes:

[D Chan]

Does anyone else find it disturbing that Macquarie has an interest in just about every major form of infrastructure crucial to this city?

They can hold the public to ransom and the only choice we have is to suffer or pay their ransom.

Is the government responsible for Macquarie being allowed to have such a monopoly?

would you rather have an Australian company in control of these infrastructure or a foreign company?

I honestly think if Sydney Airport was government controlled (or to put it more accurately given the lease - managed) it wouldn't have the funding for upgrades etc. like it has today - because quite frankly when taxpayer funds are involved people get so emotional over that. Yes I agree things can be better but think what it would be if it was managed by the government.

Think of hospitals and you'll know what i mean

[Nigel C]

Is the government responsible for Macquarie being allowed to have such a monopoly?


As I said, it appears that they only have stakes in the tollways, and don't own the whole road. I doubt there is much a government can do to stop part ownership of so many assets, but from a business point of view, it seems to be a smart investment.

Think of hospitals and you'll know what i mean

Yep. I'd rather the $42b 'stimulus' package included a slice, even a little slice, towards our health system rather than the $900 vote buying 'handout' that is currently being offered. Right now, there has been no mention of any funding towards health.

[chrisb]

So, which private company will get the bulk of the ridiculous $14.60 train fare out of the Airport if the Taxi's go on strike?

[Micheil Keegan]

That would be Westpac wouldn't it? Since they bailed out the operators of the rail link.

[Nigel C]

That'd be right...they are our most profitable bank right now!

[D Chan]

So, which private company will get the bulk of the ridiculous $14.60 train fare out of the Airport if the Taxi's go on strike?

the fare might be ridiculous but the taxis might go on strike if the train fares out of the airport line are lowered as people will catch the train out of airport instead

[Owen H]

I'd rather no company had the ability to take advantage of the Australian people, even if they are Australian owned.

They were touted as Australia's big company... but they can fall from greed just like the others.

I have no respect for Macquaries complete lack of good corporate citizenship, and their continual gouging of the public for INDIVIDUAL greed.

I have no problem with private investment in infrastructure as long as it is tightly governed... so far they have way too much power to make whatever profit they like, while providing no service whatsoever.

[Mike W]

the fare might be ridiculous but the taxis might go on strike if the train fares out of the airport line are lowered as people will catch the train out of airport instead

And then watch the Train Fares rise as well. They wouldn't miss a golden chance to price gouge if they could. Either State Rail or the Airport (who's two stations it is that add the extra cost to the fares relative to the Stations either side of the Airport)

[Kelvin R]

As a frequent PAX at YSSY I would have no issues with the tax if the money was being put to good use. Frequently it takes 30 minutes to an hour to get a cab from the domestic terminals while international is not much better. It seems that the issue is not a lack of cabs but an inability to get the cabs in and out of the airport efficiently. The current single lane, nose to tail arrangement is broken and should be fixed. There is also insufficent parking space for hire cars (not rental but cars with a driver) to enable collection. From speaking with cabbies they are often in the holding lot for an hour to 2.5 hours waiting.

Recently the airport also forced an increase in Valet Parking which went from $54 a day to $64 a day and since QF changed the operator from Hertz to some other useless company the km's on my car went from 7km a visit to between 23km and 27km a visit. This makes driving unattractive as the prebooking a domestic bay is also largely inefficient.

Faced with another at least half an hour wait for a cab on Thursday night after being back at the airport some 14 1/2 hours after leaving it in the morning I ran for the also poor train service and found myself home 50 minutes after landing (normally if I cab or drive it is 30 min) but only having spent $16 instead of $60.

I have no issues with paying for a service but at least provide some sort of service for the money. If the cabbies think they can fix the problem through blockades and boycots then as much as a pain this will cause me (especially the days I leave SYD on the 6am and arrive back at 9:10pm) then I would support this.

[NickN]

I'd rather no company had the ability to take advantage of the Australian people, even if they are Australian owned.

They were touted as Australia's big company... but they can fall from greed just like the others.

I have no respect for Macquaries complete lack of good corporate citizenship, and their continual gouging of the public for INDIVIDUAL greed.

I have no problem with private investment in infrastructure as long as it is tightly governed... so far they have way too much power to make whatever profit they like, while providing no service whatsoever

Amen to that Owen, I agree whole-heartedly.