- by cnn
- 29 Mar 2024
Last month, Douglas, who asked not to use his surname, was traveling from Brisbane airport with his family and approached a maxi cab. The driver offered them an upfront fee of $60 if he could find others to join the ride.
He ended up taking the taxi with just his family, and the driver charged them $70, demanding it in cash.
Douglas is among a number of passengers sharing reports of taxi drivers in Australia turning off their meters and asking for an upfront or set fee, often at a higher rate than would be expected for that distance and in breach of the law.
It is difficult to know whether such incidents are becoming more common.
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said it is an offence for taxi drivers to not use the meter for cabs caught from a taxi rank or hailed from the street.
Booked services, however, are able to have set fares by the provider.
If passengers complain to a taxi service about fares and the issue is unresolved, they can contact the NSW Point to Point Transport Commissioner.
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