Cabbies threaten to boycott airport over fee rise

[Ryan N]

Cabbies threaten to boycott airport over fee rise
Scott Rochfort
March 20, 2009 - 12:43PM

Taxi drivers are threatening to stage a two-day boycott of Sydney Airport after the Macquarie-run airport announced its plans to slug passengers a $3 fee from next weekend.

The airport enraged taxi drivers this morning by announcing its plans to increase its so-called ground transport access fee by 50 cents, a move the Taxi Drivers Association estimates could raise an extra $1.8 million a year for the airport's owners.

"We try to be reasonable but when we're pushed to the limit we get unreasonable,'' said the president of the Australian Taxi Drivers Association, Michael Jools.

The association has called for a meeting of taxi drivers this afternoon to discuss whether to stage a boycott of the airport on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

Sydney Airport argues the fee would help fund an expansion of the taxi holding area at the international and domestic terminals, installing more e-tag readers, building a new Unigas station, "providing a non-denominational prayer room'' and funding "minor improvements to domestic roadways''.

Some have questioned the move, given the airport, according to the Taxi Drivers Association, already makes more than $9 million a year from the fee. It estimates there are around 10,000 taxi rides that leave the airport every day.

Tensions between taxi drivers have risen in recent weeks partly over - what the association claims - have been faulty e-tag readers.

The latest spat comes less than two years after the airport raised the fee from $2 to $2.50.

"Around half the people who travel to the airport travel by cabs and the whole system out there is unreasonable in relation to taxi-cabs,'' said Mr Jools.

He said the price hike was especially insensitive given the current economic difficulties.

srochfort@smh.com.au

SMH

[Nigel C]

It would be interesting to see if the cabbies are full of hot air on their threat to boycott for 2 days, and if they're not then see whether there are many 'rogue' cabbies out there who would continue to work through the airport irrespective of any 'sanctioned' boycott.

[Hugh Jarse]

What a pack of whingers those taxi drivers are. We all know that any cost increase will be immediately passed on to the customer by the taxi companies.

Sure, people will grunt and groan over the charge, but let's face it - thousands of people per day NEED to use taxis out of KSA.

Macquarie are nothing but a bunch of greedy pigs.

[Owen H]

I agree with your sentiments regarding Macquarie, but the cabbies get upset because they know they are being used as a free way to collect an airport tax. They don't like getting used by Macquarie any more than the fare paying public do.

Macquarie will just claim, like they usually do, that the increase in fee will be used to enhance facilities for the drivers... which makes you wonder what they do with the other $2.50 worth of fee.

[NickN]

Talk about gouging, isn't there a point the government or government body can step in to rule if the increase is fair?

Macquarie arent the Millionaires Factory, they are the Greed Factory. The public need to boycott Macquarie in general, not just the airport. Macquaire don't know where to stop and draw the line, these increases will never end.

[Nigel C]

The public need to boycott Macquarie in general...

Interesting. Do you know how many pies Macquarie has their finger in when it comes to infrastructure around Sydney? No doubt this is just the tip of the iceberg, but they currently own stakes in the M2, M4, M5 and M7 toll roads.

That's a lot of places that a lot of the Sydney population need for their day to day activities.