Fatigue is one of the most common problems among rideshare, taxi, hire car and limousine drivers. Drivers often experience long hours, vast distances of travel and unusual work hours that may result in tiredness, a lack of concentration and depleted energy.

A study by the Queensland government showed that being awake for 17 hours had a similar effect on performance as having a blood alcohol reading of 0.05 which is the equivalent of two standard drinks. Many deaths and serious injuries on our roads have been due to fatigue related vehicle accidents.

Transport Alliance Australia (TAA) is an alliance of individuals and entities with an interest in the Australian commercial passenger transport sector.

This includes drivers, owners, operators, networks, booking service providers, depots, fleets, associations, industry services and suppliers.

​TAA has its roots in the Victorian Hire Car and Taxi industry. As pressures were put on the industry by the illegal operations of Uber, and as the Victorian government tried and failed to adequately address these issues, the forerunner of TAA, the VHCA, was reinvigorated by Rod Barton and André Baruch.

I first got my driver’s licence – legally – as a 15 year old in New Zealand. While we all thought that driving was a right, a rite of passage if you will, the authorities thought differently and drummed it into us that driving was a privilege – and that it came with great responsibilities.

We were taught about the absolute power and danger that we were in control of, trying to master a beast that weighed approximately a tonne and that only responded to our inputs. We were taught about the consequences of our actions – how and when to brake, how to steer etc.

We recently undertook a survey on the type, make and colour of vehicle that our members within the taxi, hire car and limousine industry prefer and had quite a resounding response. Here are the results.

Top 5 vehicles that would be purchased for use in this industry.
1. Toyota 41%
2. Lexus 10%
3. Hyundai 2%
4. Holden 1%
5. Ford 1%

The Essential Services Commission is conducting their bienniel review of Unbooked Taxi Fares.
You can read the full ESC consultation paper and provide a direct submission of your own here.

Send your thoughts by email before 30 April to - linda.demelis@taa-national.com.au.

Dateline: April 2020 Melbourne, Australia

In the lead up to Christmas 2020 the streets are slowly coming back to normal, but society has changed from where it was just months ago, 12 months ago.  There are fewer people around, as we all got used to the idea of tele-working. There are fewer vehicles on the road and more green spaces.

Representatives from TAA once again attended the Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria industry stakeholders’ video meeting on Wednesday 15 April 2020. There were no major updates to report and still nothing about further financial assistance for CPV industry stakeholders. We can only hope that next week's meeting will bring welcome news.