EXPRESS The
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
anzac day
Locally owned and proudly independent
Anzac Day across the Region - Pages 16 & 17
No small problem
THESE captive-bred baby saltwater crocs might look disarmingly cute, but don’t be deceived. Their older wild cousins have been stirring up trouble across the Far North, already killing one man near Innisfail recently and invading several farming properties at Biboohra. The issue reached a flashpoint last Wednesday when Katter’s Australian Party MPs heard from several concerned locals at a community forum in Mareeba. FULL STORY – PAGE 7
Uber threat to local cabbies A LOCAL taxi company owner fears his business will not be viable long-term if Uber rolls out on the Tablelands. Atherton Taxis co-owner Greg Brown said the ride-sharing service made a mockery of existing taxi businesses who forked out thousands of dollars for licenses, insurance and safety equipment. “It’s certainly going to affect our re-sale value. How do we sell it as a taxi business with that hanging over your head, knowing that anyone can come in?,” he said. “We’re a regulated, protected business and
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we pay accordingly through our registration and compulsory third-party insurance.” Mr Brown said with the rise of Uber, there was little incentive for people to buy into the taxi business. While Uber is yet to come to Mareeba or the Tablelands, the service has been available in Cairns since March, earning the ire of local taxi drivers in the city. The State Government introduced a $100 million “Industry Adjustment Assistance Package” last December to assist existing taxi and limou-
sine operators in an attempt to minimise the impact of Uber, which was legalised last September. Until last month, taxi licence holders who held a licence before August 11, 2016 were eligible to apply for $20,000 in compensation per taxi service license, capped at two licenses per license holder. The package also established a $26.7 million “industry hardship fund” with payments distributed on a per license basis. The State will not be releasing any new taxi licences for purchase before 2018.
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It comes as the Opposition last week announced plans to establish an independent Personalised Transport Commissioner, if elected, in an attempt to level the playing field between the taxi and rideshare industries. The Commissioner would “be responsible for the licensing and registration of vehicles, drivers and operators within the personalised transport industry and ensure proper affiliation and coordination between these parties”.
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