Minister of Transport should not short-circuit democratic process

The Minister of Transport should not short-circuit the democratic process in his enthusiasm to help an overseas taxi operator who deliberately and openly flouts New Zealand law and pays little or no tax in this country.

Simon Bridges is reported as saying he intends to pluck small passenger service law changes from the Land Transport Amendment Bill now before a select committee and fast track them through Parliament to make it easier for Uber to comply with the law. The law change in itself will not make Uber drivers legal.

They will still have to obtain P endorsements and pass the fit and proper person test expected of all passenger service drivers. It is hoped Mr Bridges has an assurance from Uber that they will now comply with the law and insist that their drivers go through the process he has diluted on their behalf. Only by doing this can the country be assured that Uber drivers have passed a full fit and proper person test, which includes medical checks, checks on overseas convictions, charges pending and any knowledge the police might have of the applicant.

Uber’s deliberate flouting of the law and its apparent acceptance by Mr Bridges and his government is unprecedented in New Zealand and should be a cause for concern for all New Zealanders.

The changes to the way small passenger service vehicles operate will reduce safety for both drivers and passengers, in spite of Mr Bridge’s assurances that they will not.

Approved Taxi Organisations with responsibility for ensuring compliance by all their drivers will cease to exist. Most taxi drivers will become individual operators with responsibility for investigating complaints against themselves. Taxis and all small passenger service vehicles plying for hire and picking up passengers from taxi ranks, outside hotels and on the streets will not have to be marked leaving the way for opportunists using the guise of being taxis to look for victims.

Security cameras and duress alarms will not be required in all small passenger service vehicles

It is unfortunate the Government is prepared to put New Zealanders and visitors from overseas at risk for the benefit of an overseas-based operator who openly ignores our laws and pays little or no tax. It is even more unfortunate that the Government is prepared to hasten the process and cut short the time normally allowed for full deliberation by the select committee.

ENDS

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