Jayden Field finding: Tasmanian coroner wants trial of mandatory prepaid taxi faresA Tasmanian coroner wants a trial of mandatory pre-paid taxi fares after the death of a teenager who jumped out of a moving cab trying to avoid the fare.
Coroner Olivia McTaggart called for the trial as part of her findings into the death of Jayden Field, 19.
He was one of a group of four drunk young men who jumped from a moving taxi in Blackmans Bay in two years ago.
Ms McTaggart said the case "highlights the tragic consequences of the over-consumption of alcohol by young people and their subsequent engagement in risk-taking behaviour".
She said a mandatory prepaid fare regime would have prevented the circumstances that led to his death.
She has called for on the Government and industry to trial prepaid fares between 10:00pm and 5:00am.
The taxi industry is the only form of public passenger transport in Tasmania that does not require pre-payment before travel.
In the month before the inquest began in March there were 14 reports to Tasmania Police about fare evasion, four involving actual or threatened violence.
All of them happened between the hours of midnight and 6:00am.
Taxi industry supports call for trial to tackle fare evasionThe Australian Taxi Drivers Association has strongly backed the call for a pre-payment trial, saying the approach had dramatically reduced fare evasion in Victoria.
Association president Michael Jools said he picks up a fare evader at least once a week.
"If somebody decides to do a runner, they do it," he said.
If we could get the money upfront, things would be easier and safer.
Michael Jools, Australian Taxi Drivers Association
"You can't stop them, you can't grab them, you can't do anything that would prevent that from happening.
"You can't lock them in the car and, critically, you can't get the money up front.
"If we could get the money upfront things would be easier and safer."
He said the number of fare evaders dropped when pre-paid fares were introduced elsewhere.
"It does work. Anecdotally there is less incidence of runners in Victoria than there used to be," he said.
The prepaid fare idea has had mixed responses from Tasmanian drivers approached by the ABC, but many welcomed it.
Launceston driver Carl Story has experienced customers trying to evade fares.
"You always have trouble Friday and Saturday nights, you usually get one or two, so it would be a good idea," he said.
"If you're coming from casino into town you know it's about $25 and if you're going from there to Riverside it's about $50, so not hard to do."
Some drivers are already demanding fares upfront at night.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-23/c ... en/7051528
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