The Official Newsletter of Aerial Capital Group Ltd Issue Twenty-Nine April 2015
CTIA LETTER TO CHIEF MINISTER | PG. 05 DRIVER TRAINING SCHOOL | PG. 03 PLEASE LEAVE ME IN THE CAR FOR OTHERS TO READ.
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WELCOME
FROM THE MD’S DESK
ISSUE #29 APRIL 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS
H
ave your heard the radio 2GB piece on taxis – Alan Jones 24 March 2015? If not it is well worth the effort made to listen. This radio article is a good summary of the real world for taxi (small business) owners. No big budget marketing hype here. Want to listen - Go to Aerial’s website and there is a link there to the 2GB site.
This edition of CabBerra has an article explaining Aerial’s new driver training school arrangements. We have new course materials, are fully compliant with national ASQA requirements and are licensed by the ACT Government. The course is slightly longer to deal with the new national (ASQA) requirements. A training course will be held every week. Aerial has also added a dedicated training/testing vehicle as part of the testing regime (no extra cost). We have been briefed by CTIA on their work to date on a taxi fare increase for 2015. CTIA are well advanced and have a draft recommendation ready for discussion with both the regulatory and policy people in Gov. Our launch of a new taxi brand, Qe Taxis in the Queanbeyan market has good support from drivers, operators and customers. We are getting good feedback from customers supporting the new pricing. That is Qe are running a similar meter setup in NSW as used in a Canberra cab – competition at work. Also the work separation rules introduced into dispatch are also starting to show improvements in customer pickup times in Queanbeyan.
FLEET NEWS
02
MUTUAL AID
03
CTIA NEWS
04
LETTER TO CHIEF MINISTER
05
DRIVER POINTS
06
APRIL EVENTS
08
KING CABBIE
09
ANZAC 10
OUT AND ABOUT
12
During my travels over the past months, talking to drivers in the fleet, it is evident that our workload is building. Statistics and driver’s perception align. The recent parliamentary sitting period has been very good for taxi business and we all look forward to the next budgetary sitting period in Canberra.
AMBASSADOR DRIVERS
13
Aerial has strong expressions of interest from people looking to lease taxi plates and Silver Service agreements. There are over 50 Government leased taxi plates sitting on the shelf. Growing customer demand indicates a need for these plates to be reintroduced to the market, in small lots. Aerial suggests staged releases of 10 plates, every three months, where demand growth supports the release. The last thing the taxi industry wants, particularly whilst we transition the innovation debate is for this leased plate release issue to be delayed. If customer complaints are permitted to grow because of a lack of supply and this then reignites the debate about taxi customer service then it proves the innovation debate is meaningless.
For any enquiries regarding the CabBerra magazine, please give us a call on 02 6126 1696 or email us at marketing@aerialcapitalgroup.com.au
MARK BRAMSTON, MANAGING DIRECTOR
FLEET NEWS
AERIAL UPGRADES MTDATA MAPPING! WRITTEN BY JASON SHIELDS, FLEET MANAGER
I
would like to start this edition of Fleet news by wishing everybody a Happy Easter. Aerial hopes everybody had a chance to spend time with family and friends over the Easter long weekend. In this month’s fleet news I want to talk about some changes to MTData and to raise the issue of the overuse of the radio.
Operators and Drivers will be happy to hear that Aerial is half way through an upgrade to the mapping system in MTData. The base upgrade has been completed and shortly we will be calling all taxis in to complete the upgrade. We plan to do the bulk of the taxis on a Saturday to limit disruption to the fleets. The upgrade should only take about 10 minutes per Taxi and we will be providing more information to operators and drivers closer to the date. Please comply with any requests to come into the base for the upgrade. You will have noticed that we have once again added the KM distance to the pickup on the job offer screen. This should be especially useful in areas like City East & City West during GPS dispatch. Please be aware that the distance given is “as the crow flies” which is the straight line distance from the taxi to the job. It does not follow the road network. Please consider this when accepting any job offer. Effective communication between taxi drivers and a taxi network is an essential aspect of providing efficient taxi services, yet some taxi networks achieve this without any radio communication at all. This begs the question of why radio use is so high in Aerial’s fleets. A recent survey of radio traffic within Aerial’s fleets has shown a concerning high level of radio communication. With one taxi the rate was almost two radio communications for every one job. This amount of radio traffic is
costly, inefficient and ultimately unsustainable. In coming weeks Aerial will be conducting further studies into the activity on the query channel with the ultimate aim of making the query channel more efficient for all. The query channel should only be used when all other options have been exhausted. Of course the radio channel is always available in emergency situations. Drivers are reminded that the query channel is NOT to be used to argue with Call Centre staff about no jobs, to complain about the dispatch system or to conduct investigations into whether another driver has stolen your job. In future please consider whether you really need to use the radio to communicate with the Base and use it sparingly. I would also like to remind you that any unnecessary interference with the radio network may attract penalties under Aerial’s By-Laws. Any complaint that you may have against the Call Centre or another driver must not be directed to the Call Centre but should be directed in writing to the Fleet Department at feedback@aerialcapitalgroup.com.au. Please be specific with time, date, TX number etc. This will allow us to properly investigate the complaint and take the appropriate action. Any suggestions about making the query channel more efficient are always welcome and should be directed to feedback@aerialcapitalgroup.com.au. Finally as we approach the cooler months of the year drivers are reminded that Aerial staff will be on the lookout for drivers not wearing the required network uniform. Remember the Aerial shop is your one-stop shop for all your CTIA jumpers, vests and jackets in 2015. That’s it for this edition of the Fleet News. Stay safe and we will see you on a rank sometime soon.
PREPARING FOR PRACTICAL ASSESSMENT WRITTEN BY JOHN HEBRON
T
he most important thing to remember when preparing for your practical assessment is that we want you to pass first time. However, if there are areas of your knowledge and skill that are not OK, due to a ‘duty of care’ we must assess you again.
It is vital that you do plenty of driving to and from the destinations you are given so that you have a very good knowledge of ‘old’ Canberra. Most people who make driving mistakes do so because they are not fully concentrating. Often because they are not sure of the route to take, and concentration is divided between finding where to go and
02 - CABBERRA TWENTY-NINE
observing what is necessary to drive safely. Also be aware of the following: • Be on time. A test will not be taken if you are more than 10 minutes late. • Smart, clean and casual dress is fine but closed footwear is required, no sandals or thongs. • Personal hygiene must be ‘world’s best practice’ • Come with a positive ‘mindset’, the process is there to help you Good luck!
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FLEET NEWS
MUTUAL MUTUAL AID AID
I
WHAT WHATTO TODO DOIF IFYOU YOUARE AREINVOLVED INVOLVEDIN INAN ANACCIDENT ACCIDENT
f you are unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident there are a number of things you are required to do.
If you have had an accident you must stop and render whatever assistance is necessary. You must exchange details with the other party. Required information to get is the other party’s name, address, license number, date of birth, phone number and their insurance company if possible. The minimum information that both parties are required to exchange is their name, address and license number.
A
If possible you should photograph the damage done to the taxi and any other car or property. If the accident involves another car also photograph the drivers license. Please note that if you are responsible for the accident, you should also supply the Operator’s name and phone number to the other party. You are required by law to report all accidents to the police within 24 hours of the accident. This can be done online. If you are in the right or the wrong there is a minimum excess of $750.00 to be paid at the time the taxi is repaired. Where the taxi is in the right this excess is refunded once Mutual Aid has recovered the repair costs from the other party. If you have not got the other party’s full details this may prevent Aerial from recovering the repair costs where the other party was at fault. In this instance the taxi is deemed to be in the wrong and the excess is not refunded.
TRAINING ROOM NEWS erial Capital Group is happy to announce that taxi driver training has recommenced under a new agreement with The Sydney Taxi School (TSTS), a NSW Registered Training Organisation. The ACT Government has approved TSTS to conduct taxi driver training in the ACT in association with Aerial.
The course has been significantly enhanced in line with the Australian Skills Quality Authority requirements and will be continually reviewed to ensure it continues to meet the highest standards. An extra half day has been added to the course in order to cater for the additional training requirements.
The course runs weekly from 9.00am to 5.00pm on Monday and Tuesday and 9.00am to 12.00pm Wednesday. Theory assessments will be conducted on Wednesday afternoons. These hours will change to 8.30am to 4.00pm from 4th May 2015. Aerial has also purchased a Toyota Camry as a dedicated training vehicle which has been fitted out to simulate a taxi (see cover page). This vehicle has been provided at no extra charge to students to undertake their practical assessments. This will take the worry from drivers who would otherwise have to provide their own vehicle for the assessment. Aerial is conscious of the costs involved for students in obtaining a taxi licence and with this in mind we have kept the cost to a minimum. In doing so we are providing the course at a significant cost saving over our competitor. Course bookings can be made by phoning reception on 61261500 and new driver information packs are available over the counter.
FREE BREAKFAST AND COFFEE AT THE CANBERRA AIRPORT A MESSAGE FROM THE SIKH TAXI DRIVERS ASSOCIATION OF CANBERRA
Everyone is invited to attend. Date and Time to be announced in the taxis prior to the event. Sikh taxi drivers Association of Canberra celebrate the Sikh festival of Khalsa-Divas / Vasakhi on last week of April which marks the 316th anniversary of birth of Khalsa, the name given to one who imbibes pure and truthful leaving as per teaching of Sikh Gurus. The festival bears a great significance for the Sikhs due of the fact that on the Vasakhi day in the year 1699, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh ji laid down the foundation of the Khalsa and bestowed them with the teaching of the defiance and gave them a code of conduct for serving disadvantaged and indigent. This day is also observed as the thanks giving day by the farmers whereby the farmers pay their tribute, thanking God for the abundant harvest and also praying for the future prosperity. Vasakhi is a festival celebrated across the northern India subcontinent, especially in the Indian state of Punjab with great zeal and enthusiasm. The Sikh Guru teaches equality among all humans and guide us. “Let no one be hungry where the spirit of God prevails.” Encouraged by the above verse the followers of Sikh religion often organise free community kitchen as a mark of respect towards their Guru. It is known as Guru-Ka-Langar where the food is served to everybody without any consideration of caste, colour, creed and status in the society. Following this practice Sikh Taxi Drivers Association of Canberra will distribute free breakfast and coffee at Canberra airport to mark the festival of Vasakhi.
CANBERRA TAXI INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
CTIA NEWS
AERIAL & THE CTIA ACHIEVE A GREAT OUTCOME FOR TRAINEE DRIVERS WRITTEN BY JOHN MCKEOUGH, CHAIRMAN OF CTIA
A
DRIVER TRAINING n article on Page 3 of the Canberra Times of March 24 refers to difficulties trainee drivers have been having in obtaining their taxi driver authorisations.
would need to be added to the ACT taxi drivers’ course. This came from what they claimed to be a correct interpretation of part of the “Drive a Taxi” component of the approved taxi driver course, and would have conservatively added an estimated $60,000 to their annual income in addition to another $14,000 gleaned from an increase in assessment fees.
Aerial and the CTIA were involved in a dispute about taxi driver training that occupied a good part of 2014. It seems now that the dispute has been concluded, and the most satisfying outcome is that the efforts of Aerial and the CTIA have saved each new trainee taxi driver around $400.
This they claimed was in order for them to escape sanctions from ASQA, who, they said was about to review taxi driver training. This was most unacceptable to Aerial and the CTIA who felt that the extra charges were a money grab, an unnecessary hardship for trainee drivers, and a completely unnecessary addition to the course.
Taxi driver authorisations may be obtained only after a person has undergone an English language assessment, passed a medical, passed a police character check, and then undergone and passed a course based on a set of competencies deemed necessary for the task of driving a taxi. Every taxi driver knows this because he/she has been “through the hoops.”
The CTIA contacted RTO’s and industry associations in several states and found that not one has heard of any need for trainee taxi drivers to undergo a defensive driving course. An inspection of state transport department websites failed to indicate any such requirement in the “advice to trainee taxi drivers” sections. Indeed, the ACT website states that standard licence applicants are required to demonstrate a defensive driving attitude that matches almost word for word, that demanded of prospective taxi drivers in federal legislation.
What may not be known is that those presenting the taxi driver course are required to be qualified presenters and that they must work under the auspices of or for a registered training organisation, an RTO. Unless taxi driver training is overseen by an RTO, the Department is unable to issue a taxi driver authorisation to an applicant. An RTO is an independent person or organisation that obtains its licence to operate from a federal government agency. This agency, Australian Skills Quality Authority, ASQA, is the national regulator for Australia’s vocational education and training sector. ASQA regulates courses and training providers to ensure nationally approved standards are met, and that they address the needs of particular industries. Taxi driving is one of those vocations for which nationally approved standards are required and are monitored. So every approved RTO must present a course that meets the national standards. This allows for the transfer of a taxi driver authority from one jurisdiction to another, so it is important for taxi drivers. Most state and territory regulators have agreed to issue taxi driver authorisations to only those drivers whose training has been provided by an RTO. Such is the case in Canberra. For the best part of 20 years, the Aerial Group has been presenting taxi driver courses under the auspices of the only local transport RTO.
On realising that any qualified RTO should be acceptable to the ACT authorities, Aerial and the CTIA approached the NSW Taxi Council for advice, and were introduced to the Sydney Taxi School which agreed to oversee Aerial’s taxi driver training in Canberra subject to departmental approval. That approval came through in mid March. Aerial has applied to ASQA to become an RTO in its own right. This will take up to nine months. This exercise has resulted in a great outcome for trainee drivers in terms of cost savings, and for taxi operators who would no doubt have found it more difficult to obtain new drivers. When talking to drivers and operators, I am often told that Aerial is not concerned for drivers or operators and told the CTIA does nothing for them. Some say they would like to have the opportunity to discuss their concerns, but fail to follow through when invited. The above exercise produced an identifiable beneficial outcome for the industry. Many efforts of Aerial Management and CTIA’s Tony Bryce are behind the scenes are not readily noticeable, but do contribute to the well being of the industry in many ways. 2015 is unfolding as a critical year for the taxi industry especially with regard to the threat from so-called ridesharing. Aerial and the CTIA have a very busy year ahead of them. Support from the industry will be needed and appreciated.
During 2014, the local RTO informed Aerial that a defensive driving course costing $350 per driver, and provided by them,
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CANBERRA TAXI INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
8 April 2015 The Hon. Andrew Barr Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate P.O. Box 158 Canberra Australia 2601 Dear Chief Minister, I write to express the extreme disappointment of the Canberra Taxi Industry Association to the report in The Canberra Times of 5th April, which reported that you were supportive of the taxi service arm of Uber (UberX) coming to Canberra and that the federal government’s Harper Review of competition policy reassured you that the taxi industry needed to be reformed. In preparation for the local review into the taxi industry the CTIA has recently responded to a series of questions regarding the possibility of UberX coming to Canberra and the regulatory changes that would need to be applied if UberX were to compete with taxis on a level playing field. You are reported as saying that expected reforms would “…specifically address allowing Uber to operate in the territory”. In responding to reviews and inquiries since the early 1990’s the local taxi industry has incurred costs of over $1,000,000, and our present concern is that because of this current review it may be obliged to fruitlessly incur more expense in preparing arguments that may simply be seen as bumps in the road and be “got around” in an effort to allow Uber to unfairly operate a taxi service. With regard to the Harper Review, it has simply produced what seems to be a mantra for all such reviews: “Deregulate the taxi industry”. Even the recent Fels Review into the Victorian taxi industry did not recommend deregulation. It dealt specifically with the taxi market rather than general business principles. In a previous competition policy review, state and territory governments were directed to adopt any recommendation to deregulate an industry unless it could be demonstrated that to do so would not be in the public interest. Previously, in another review, states and territories that did not deregulate as directed were told they would be denied expected productivity bonuses. For sound reasons, neither threat resulted in deregulation of the taxi industry in any state. Even the Harper Report, which recommended taxi deregulation (because that’s what economists always do) admitted that it could see little public benefit in doing so. What is very disappointing is the headline “Uber works with government on new taxi reform”. The taxi industry has for several years been denied the opportunity to “work with” the government. It has enjoyed good relationships with individual government officers with regard to day-to-day matters. It has been part of committees such as the Taxi Industry Liaison Committee, the Taxi Industry Advisory Committee, Transport Reform Advisory Group and the Taxi Industry Working Group. Some committees were productive, some, for various reasons, were not. In a letter to Minister Hargreaves in 2007 I suggested that it should be possible for the transport minister and the taxi industry, sharing the common goal of provisioning a top class taxi service, should be able to work better together. He replied that he would not sit down with the CTIA because he “did not want to be seen as the captive of an industry”. So the above headline was very disappointing for the CTIA as it has given the impression that the government is co-operating with Uber to help pave the way for what is presently an illegal operation, facilitated by a company, that accepts no responsibility for its drivers or their clients, skims 20% from all fares collected and sends the profits overseas, and whose response to its taxation obligations are very unclear. Yours sincerely,
John McKeough Chairman Canberra Taxi Industry Association
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CABBERRA TWENTY-NINE - 05
AERIAL POINT SYSTEM
DRIVER POINTS SYSTEM
At the end of every month, each driver’s points will be assessed for a possible reward and then zeroed for the following month. To make it as fair as possible, the drivers will be allocated into 4 groups according to number of hours worked. From these 4 groups, the top 3 points scorers will be offered a reward. Recent disciplinary record will also be taken into account.
JOHN CROSSLEY
DAVID BENNETT
GURJEET SINGH BATTH SHAHRIAR SHARIFI
HAROON MIRZA
06 - CABBERRA TWENTY-NINE
HAMEET SINGH GILL
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AERIAL POINT SYSTEM
MALCOLM FORSYTH
GAGANDEEP SINGH
HAMID MUSHTAQ
JOHN THOMAS COX
RABIH IBO CHOR LIM CHEAH
We've discounted the NSW regulated taxi fare to save you money. Booking a cab to the Airport on Sunday? (8km) Qe Taxis fare: $23.70 NSW regulated fare: $26.98
We'll take you further for less. We don't increase our rate if you travel further than 12km. Heading into the Canberra City Centre, Monday to Friday 6am- 10pm? (17km) Qe Taxis fare: $39.30 NSW regulated fare: $48.07
Qetaxis.com.au Book & Track online or call 133 300 All fare examples include the booking fee and are determined using estimated kilometres. Fares do not include waiting times.
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So many reasons to love Qe Taxis Proudly Queanbeyan
CABBERRA TWENTY-NINE - 07
APRIL EVENTS 2015
HAPPENING IN CANBERRA CSO Llewellyn Series 15.1 Sibelius
1/04/2015 to 02/04/2015
Llewellyn Hall, Astralian National University
The life cycle of a Questacon exhibit: from idea to experience
01/04/2015
Questacon - The National Science and Technology Centre
National Folk Festival
2/04/2015 to 06/04/2015
Exhibition Park
Autumn Sanctuary by Twilight
03/04/2015
Mulligans Flat Woodlands Sanctuary
afterDARK Scavenger Hunt Tours
3/04/2015 to 24/04/2015
Australian National Botanic Gardens
The Home Front: Australia during the First World War
03/04/2015 to 27/04/2015
National Museum of Australia
Easter Make Your Own!
04/04/2015
Canberra Glassworks
Brumbies v Cheetahs
04/04/2015
GIO Stadium Canberra
Old Bus Depot Markets - Portobello Road on Easter Sunday
05/04/2015
Old Bus Depot Markets
Bell Shakespeare's As You Like It
07/04/2015 to 18/04/2015
The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre
Ruby Wax
07/04/2015
Canberra Theatre Centre
Angélique Kidjo
08/04/2015
Canberra Theatre
Mavis Staples
09/04/2015
The Street Theatre
Jane Austen Festival Australia
10/04/2015 to 12/04/2015
University House
Leo Sayer: The Restless Years
10/04/2015
Canberra Theatre
Tubular Bells For Two
10/04/2015 to 12/04/2015
The Street Theatre
St John's: Canberra's First War Memorial?
11/04/2015 to 26/04/2015
St John's Schoolhouse
GIANTS vs Melbourne
11/04/2015
StarTrack Oval
Slow Art Day
11/04/2015
Australian War Memorial
2015 Australian Running Festival
11/04/2015 to 12/04/2015
Old Parliament House lawns
Wine Harvest Festival 2015 - Lerida Estate
11/04/2015 to 12/04/2015
Lerida Estate Winery
Hustle and Scout: Twilight Fashion Market
11/04/2015
Hangar #47
Canberra District Wine Harvest Festival
11/04/2015 to 12/04/2015
Various Venues
Kowen Forest - Dirt Bike Rally
11/04/2015 to 12/04/2015
Kowen Forest
Canberra and Region Heritage Festival
11/04/2015 to 26/04/2015
Various Venues
Canberra Raiders vs Melbourne Storm
12/04/2015
GIO Stadium Canberra
Selby & Friends - 'Big Sky' Tour
13/04/2015
James O. Fairfax Theatre, National Gallery of Australia
Music at Midday
14/04/2015
Canberra Theatre
Kids Autumn Digital Photography School
14/04/2015 to 23/04/2015
PhotoAccess
Architects
15/04/2015
Australian National University Union Bar
Pink Floyd Experience
16/04/2015
Canberra Theatre
Let It Go: The Aussie Frozen Tribute Show
17/04/2015
Southern Cross Club Woden
Jordie Lane + Special Guests
17/04/2015
The Street Theatre
Shadow Play: Photograms and Pinhole Photography
17/04/2015
PhotoAccess
Autumn Mt. Stromlo Observatory Site Tours
18/04/2015
Mt. Stromlo Observatory
Khan Manuel
18/04/2015
The Street Theatre
Brumbies v Rebels
18/04/2015
GIO Stadium Canberra
To Heaven and Back on a Swing
19/04/2015
High Court of Australia, Public Hall Level 2
An Evening with Noel Fielding
20/04/2015
Canberra Theatre Centre
Ross Noble - Tangentleman
22/04/2015 to 23/04/2015
Canberra Theatre
Monkey … Journey to the West
23/04/2015 to 25/04/2015
The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre
Jay’s Jungle
24/04/2015
The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre
Mt Stromlo Observatory April Public Night
24/04/2015
Mt. Stromlo Observatory
Brumbies v Highlanders
24/04/2015
GIO Stadium Canberra
Anzac Day 2015 at the Australian War Memorial
25/04/2015
Australian War Memorial
Canberra Toy and Hobby Fair
26/04/2015
Kaleen High School
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Important Account Work Notice
AUTO NO JOBS FOR ALL ACCOUNT WORK WILL NO LONGER BE 3 MINUTES. DRIVERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO WAIT 6 MINUTES BEFORE LOGGING AN AUTO NO JOB.
KING CABBIE’S TIPS Account Customers Are Repeat Business. PROFIT IN BUSINESS COMES FROM REPEAT CUSTOMERS USING YOUR SERVICE OVER TIME, WHO BOAST ABOUT YOUR SERVICE AND BRING FRIENDS ALONG WITH THEM. LOOK AFTER ACCOUNT CUSTOMERS. ITS MORE BUSINESS FOR YOU.
ANZAC DAY – 25 April – is probably Australia’s most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. WHAT DOES ANZAC STAND FOR? ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as Anzacs, and the pride they took in that name endures to this day. This year Saturday 25 April 2015 marks the 100th anniversary of landing of Anzac troops at Gallipoli. On this day, the Australian War Memorial will be hosting two ceremonies of national significance to commemorate the service and sacrifice of those who have served Australia during periods of war and peace. The Dawn Service observed on Anzac Day has its origins in a military routine, which is still followed by the Australian Army today. During battle, the half-light of dawn was one of the most favoured times for an attack. Soldiers in defensive positions were woken in the dark before dawn, so by the time first light crept across the battlefield they were awake, alert, and manning their weapons; this is still known as the “stand-to”. As dusk is equally favourable for attacks, the stand-to was repeated at sunset. After the First World War, returned soldiers sought the comradeship they had felt in those quiet, peaceful moments before dawn. A dawn vigil, recalling the wartime front line practice of the dawn “stand-to”, became the basis of a form of commemoration in several places after the war. Schedule for the AWM Dawn Service 25 April 2015: 4.30 am
Three 15 minute excerpts will be read from letters and diaries of Australians who experienced war firsthand in all its facets
5.15 am
All will be quiet before the Dawn Service commences in darkness
5.30 am
Dawn Service commences
6.00 am (approx.)
Dawn Service concludes
6.15 am
Commemorative Area opens
8.00 am
Commemorative Area and Hall of Memory closes
NATIONAL CEREMONY At the Memorial, the Anzac Day National Ceremony takes place at 10.15 am. Each year the ceremony follows a format that is familiar to generations of Australians. The National Ceremony commences with the traditional order of service including the National Anthem, Commemorative Address, laying of wreaths, hymns, sounding of The Last Post and observance of one minute’s silence. In 2015 the Commemorative Address will be delivered by the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Ret’d). The ceremony also includes a march past of veterans, who this year will be reviewed by the Governor-General. Schedule for the National Ceremony 9.00 am
Ticket Holders admitted to seating
10.15am
National Ceremony commences
10.45 am
Veterans’ march commences
11.45 am (approx.)
Veterans’ march concludes
12.30 pm (approx.)
National Ceremony concludes
12.45 pm (approx.)
Memorial opens
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GENERAL INFORMATION Large numbers are expected; members of the general public should arrive from 8.30 am. Ticket Holders should be in their seats by 9.45 am. Members of the general public are welcome to bring their own seats or rugs. Poppy sellers will be roaming the site distributing poppies for a donation. The Memorial will open after the ceremony at approximately 12.45 pm. LAST POST CEREMONY The daily Last Post Ceremony will commence at 4.45 pm in the Commemorative Area. All members of the public are welcome to attend the ceremony. It is anticipated that there will be greater than normal number of people attending the Last Post Ceremony. The ceremony will be broadcast live daily via webcam on the Memorial’s website. In commemoration of the centenary of the landings on Gallipoli, members of both the Australian Defence Force and the Turkish Defence force will participate during the ceremony. PARKING, TRANSPORT AND VISITOR INFORMATION
Image Source: www.awm.gov.au
Road closures Road closures in effect from 3.30 am until 1.00 pm on 25 April. Traffic from Limestone Avenue diverts onto Treloar Crescent Traffic from Fairbairn Avenue diverts onto Treloar Crescent
Anzac Parade closed from Constitution Avenue including the Blamey Crescent and Currong Street intersection ROLL OF HONOUR NAME PROJECTIONS During the Centenary period, the name of each of the 62,000 Australians who gave their lives during the First World War will be projected onto the façade of the Hall of Memory at the Australian War Memorial. The names will be displayed from sunset to sunrise every night, and can be seen from the Memorial’s grounds. Each name will be visible for 30 seconds. This special commemoration runs from 4 August 2014 until 11 November 2018. During this period, the entire set of 62,000 names will be displayed about 30 times. Search the Roll of Honour to help you find out when a particular person’s name will be projected. This site provides the estimated date and time at which the name will be displayed. The information will be updated during the Centenary period. Start and stop times for April nightly projections FROM DATE
TO DATE
START TIME
STOP TIME
1/04/15
6/05/15
18:59
5.36
Visit for future project date and times. https://www.awm.gov.au/1914-1918/roll-honour-name-projections/ FACEBOOK.COM/AERIALCG
CABBERRA TWENTY-NINE - 11
OUT AND ABOUT
TARIQ
BRAR
KEVIN
HARPREET
PRABHJEET
HARRY
12 - CABBERRA TWENTY-NINE
STU FACEBOOK.COM/AERIALCG
AMBASSADOR DRIVERS
WELL DONE!
AMBASSADOR DRIVERS CHI HOA LAM
AHMAD ANDALEEB IRSHAD His performance when picking up at the Airport Rank is of the highest standard. By putting the customer’s requirements first every time he picks up from the rank he enhances the reputation of the Canberra Elite Fleet” Commissionaire at the Airport
MUKESH KUMAR One of your passengers said that you are a ‘splendid, splendid man’ and wanted to ensure that you receive merit for helping her after picking her up from the Jindalee Nursing Home. You assisted her with the collection of her medication as she only just had an eye operation done. Well done Mukesh. FACEBOOK.COM/AERIALCG
A message we received from one of your customers: I write to thank you for your assistance in having my lost property returned to me. I was in the taxi of Mr Chi Hoa Lam (Taxi 156) this morning when something very, very special to me fell out of my pocket. I contacted you on 132227 and the gentleman who I spoke with was extremely helpful to me and located, then contacted, the driver. Mr Lam consequently searched his vehicle. Although originally not locating the item (it was quite small), he searched again and found it (I think it had fallen between the seats. He then drove back to my home to return this to me. I am extremely grateful for his kindness in doing this and so quickly. It is an item of little financial value, but extremely valuable to me. Thank you again. Karen
AMRIT PAL SINGH “The presentation standards on display from this driver are exceptional. He is consistently well presented at a time of night when it would be easy to disregard personal presentation. He obviously takes great pride in himself and the Silver Service network”. - Commissionaire at the Airport CABBERRA TWENTY-NINE - 13
“It’s not real without the seal”
Protect the future of our industry and fight back against illegal ride-sharing! Join the ‘Grab a Cab!’ campaign and display the seal of approval on your cab to inform your passengers that their journey will be safe and in accordance with all government regulations.
An Australian Taxi Industry Association initiative.
www.grabacab.net.au