Wellington taxi drivers continue protest

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Tue, 29 Jun 2010 6:18p.m.

Drivers for smaller companies say Wellington Combined have a virtual monopoly

Drivers for smaller companies say Wellington Combined have a virtual monopoly

By Charlotte Tonkin

For the second day running, Wellington taxi drivers have gone to Parliament to protest that they're being discriminated against, and an advocacy group agrees.

At Wellington Airport it's normal for taxi drivers to wait for two hours to get a fare. Today there was less competition because around 100 were protesting at Parliament.

Among the crowd was a chemical engineer, a filmmaker, doctors and teachers - all overqualified for the work they now do.

"I'm saddened by it," says Kay Brereton of the Wellington People's Centre. "People come to our country looking to work and to contribute, and they end up not having their qualifications recognised and they have to drive taxis."

The Wellington Taxi Alliance presented a petition to Labour's transport spokeswoman Darien Fenton, protesting against the change in layout of the airport's taxi rank where they say they're being discriminated against. 

They want the same access to passengers as the more established company, Wellington Combined Taxis.

"The customer is not going to walk past the so-called professional outfit to the lesser known outfit where the perception is they are dodgy and don't speak English," says driver Vonrick Kerr.

Ms Brereton says discrimination is nothing new.

"We're bringing in to New Zealand people with a diverse range of skills which we could benefit from, and we're not even valuing."

Drivers say taxis no longer provide a guaranteed income because of competition within the industry.

Since the taxi industry was deregulated in 1989, the number of taxis has skyrocketed. Now it's a case of supply far outstripping demand.

Nationally there are around 6788 taxis. Wellington has 1237 of them - one cab for every 363 people.

But with no cap on how many taxis can be licensed, the long wait for a job will continue.

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Comments

29 Aug 2010 01:55p.m.

Guff wrote:

Firstly, the Wellington International Airport is a State Owned Enterprise it is not privately owned(see Airport Act 1966 and Wellington Airport Act 1990). Every driver that are tax and rate payer should be allowed to earn a livining at the airport. Wellington Combined taxis drivers do not pay taxes on the taxi charge and vouchers, they do not cooperate with the IRD. It is sad to see the Wellington Mayor, the Transport Minister and Minister for state owned enterprise allowed this atrosity to take place on their watch, just to falsely pretend a clean green image for Rugby World Cup 2011. They will never subject the cattle farmers to such wrong even after there are plenty of evidence showing the harm caused by cattles to the envronment. "The evil that men do lives after them".

05 Jul 2010 08:47a.m.

jyoti wrote:

That is completely wrong,With all other companies also u have to give test which combines takes as well. Combine taxi has recently started disel or hybrid car bec green cabs has hybrid car to compete.At the movement combine is taking people without any test so it means they are taking anybody from the street to compete in wellington so that all small company leave their company and go to Combine so that Combine company can earn more money. Wellington airport u cannot drive taxi more than 7 years old.Wellington taxi was few cents expensive bec they dont get radio jobs,they have to sit for 3 hrs to get customer and combine dont.And now combine has taken all over airport and wellington region so that smaller company will suffer,and when they will suffer they will be forced to leave their company to go to Combine Taxi to survive. And by the way WELLINGTON TAXI FARES HAS BEEN REDUCED ALOT AND NOW COMBINE TAXI AND GREEN CAB ARE MORE EXPENSIVE.And smaller company are also humans like us they dress really smart, can speak fluent English.PLs dont get racialism in Newzeand like Australia.Newzealand is beautiful country and so are newzealander.

03 Jul 2010 11:34p.m.

Jon wrote:

Good news for wellington SOON KIWI CABS will be the lowest fare in town cheaper than combined and green cab SO GO FOR KIWI CABS AND SAVE

30 Jun 2010 10:22p.m.

alexander .b wrote:

listening to the crap talking from all combine taxis make me even more haterate towards them .all the points made by veteran44 insulting other humans in smaller taxi CO (taxi drivers and shuttle drivers) is all a false. a b c d is all lie's. the innocent small company drivers are all fully qualified to be on the road under the law of New Zealand transport authority. in such they hold there owner operates licences number displayed on front windows in every cabs. all though what is combine taxi talking about, majority of the drivers in combine taxi gained there experince's from smaller company's when they were in it and then, for a greed of extra money they switch to combine taxis.
i have a question ? who know's all and every single streets and suburbs from end of wellington to masterton and to end of waikanae. haha no one right???
Thats why they have introduced a system called GPS or Maps. SO if combine taxis think they are MR KNOW IT ALL , then why the hell them selve's have got a GPS system in ther cars...
my recommendation to consumers for using smaller taxi company's is great. And yes mate they all speak english, and have hygene clean cabs, biggers cars, and dress appropriate and yes they also have good discount rates if you travelling longer distants , so get to know them.

30 Jun 2010 04:48p.m.

baako wrote:

"Wellington Combined is a Kiwi owned" LOL...when was the last time you went in combined cab Rosa.Hardly qualifies for the kiwi owned status. BTW ..africans have only be admitted to this crowd recently, and why cause of threat of green cabs. now they take anyone. Hybrid or diesel cars, why, cause green cabs came along.

30 Jun 2010 01:46p.m.

Aaron wrote:

It's simple. Get a better car, improve / be competitive in your service and buy access to the lane at the airport. Stop whining. As a consumer if I'm paying for a taxi then I choose the best quality not the least. If your qualifications aren't recognized then leave or qualify here. Education standards are fundamental and the rest of us have had to earn them the hard way.

30 Jun 2010 12:27p.m.

Veteran44 wrote:

At least with Combined Taxis' you are reasonably sure that the Driver will, A, Have a clean Cab, B, be suitably dressed, C, Speak English and D, Know where your destination is and how to best get there, without the use of GPS or maps. Perhaps the City Council should set up an examination regime and "Code of Conduct" for Taxi Drivers, similar to "The Knowledge" in London, then issue a personal license to Drivers who qualify. We could be reasonably sure that we were in safe and competent hands.

30 Jun 2010 12:03p.m.

Nigel Burrell wrote:

The reason is simple. Wellington taxi companies are the most expensive in the whole country via per/km rates! (This was confirmed by an independant research survey). People don't use them as much because they don't want to waste their money on such an overpriced service. It costs $45 just to go down the road and get into central Wellington (10km), $80 to get to Tawa (23km), and $120 to get to Plimmerton (30km). You can buy a DVD player for that! Too many cabs, and too expensive!

30 Jun 2010 08:43a.m.

Melvin Tofete wrote:

Right now there is a HUGE line of taxis! Around the subway towards the airport. Im sure theyre doing this on purpose. You should get your cameras over here now. Only other taxis no combined lol. They blocking the whole straight..Haha

29 Jun 2010 10:07p.m.

Rosa wrote:

The airport is a private business, if they wish to sell a lane then they may do so you can't go crying to the government. Plus most of these drivers already take advantage of the government by getting benefit, when they clearly make more money than they are showing. If your company does not have money and can't afford an airport lane, then join the better company. Obviously it is not that easy to join Wellington Combined Taxis because they don't just let anyone off the streets into their company like the little companies do. First of all you have to pass a series of tests, which none of the little companies do. You have to have a hybrid or a diesel car which is obviously better for the environment. The other companies have cars that are over 10 years old, and with a lot of business people flying into the city everyday it just does not look very presentable. Wellington Combined is a Kiwi owned and trusted company that has been around for more than 50 years "If you can't beat them join them".