2016-11-18
Greens spokesperson for Transport Lynn MacLaren MLC has today urged the Government to scrap a levy it plans to impose upon ride-sharing service Uber to generate revenue to compensate taxi drivers.
Ms MacLaren said she stood alongside Uber, its drivers and the 30,000 users who have added their signatures to a petition opposing the levy, to be presented to the Premier today.
“The Greens WA support new opportunities and innovation in transport,” Ms MacLaren said.
“Ride-sharing provides additional transport options for people to get around.
“We recognise that Uber has clearly been embraced as a popular option for many Western Australians.
“That 30,000 people have signed the petition which will be presented to the Premier today and 10,000 have included comments cannot be ignored.
Ms MacLaren said her Greens counterparts in the ACT as part of a Labor-Green Government had led the way in being the first jurisdiction in Australia to legalise ride-sharing.
She said she believed the Government had a responsibility to keep pace with developments and to develop legislation and regulations that ensured drivers’ rights are protected, including fair pay and conditions; consumer safety is ensured; vehicle safety checks are undertaken and that options for people with disabilities were expanded upon.
“I do not, however, believe that imposing a levy upon Uber users is an appropriate way to generate revenue to compensate the taxi industry for the transition, which has been brought about by updates in market-innovation and technology,” Ms MacLaren said.
"We need an alternative that helps protect workers regardless if they are Uber or taxi drivers."
Related portfolios: Transport