Bus Strike

Sydney's Bus Strike

The NSW Taxi Council has called on passengers to be patient as the demand for taxis surges with today's bus strike.

"Taxis were never designed to be mass transport providers, but today we have been placed in that position as 600,000 commuters are forced to find an alternate means of getting to work," said Mr Howard Harrison, CEO of the NSW Taxi Council.

"We have every available car on the road and will work to get as many people as possible to work on time but passengers should remember the bus strike is not our fault, the resulting traffic jams which slow us down are not our fault, and there are hundreds-of-thousands of people trying to get to the office by 9am."

Mr Harrison said there were a number of steps passengers could take to assist in gaining taxis over the next 24 hours:

* Pre-booking where possible and planning ahead.
* Consider the timing of the trip so you are not traveling at times of peak demand.
* If you are hailing a cab, stand where the cabbie can easily stop do not jump out into traffic or stand at intersections.
* Consider group bookings with a Maxi Cab.
* Permit your driver to multiple hire. It not only allows the best utilisation of the fleet, you also get a 25% discount on your standard metered fare.
* Make sure you have your Cabcharge card, credit card, or money ready for speedy payment once the journey ends.
* For security reasons, only book through an authorised taxi network.
* Make sure the driver is wearing an authorised uniform and displays the Driver's Authority Card.
* Insist on the meter being used, and gain a receipt from the EFTPOS machine at the end of the journey as this contains the Taxi and Driver numbers.
* When you leave the cab turn around and check you have not left belongings behind.
* If you are travelling tonight try to use the Secure Ranks (located at Chifley Square from 5pm until 1am and at both Park Street and the Four Seasons Hotel from 5pm to 3:30am).
* If you are at a pub or club ask if they are one of the hundreds of participants in the Secure Cab scheme.
* If you have any feedback about your journey, call the NSW Government's feedback line on 1800 648 478.

"This is a stressful time of the year for everyone. Patience and courtesy would be appreciated when booking or riding in a taxi, and we ask that expectations are kept realistic. If, in these most difficult circumstances, a taxi driver provides exceptional service, please feel free to offer a tip and a friendly word," said Mr Harrison.

Media contact:
Tracey Cain, NSW Taxi Council
0411 644 999


SOURCE: NSW Taxi Council