MULTIPLE hiring of taxis will be among the issues the Newcastle Liquor Accord will raise at a meeting tonight with the taxi industry, called to discuss ways to fix the city's late-night transport problems.
Fannys Nightclub and The Junction Hotel owner Rolly de With said people were waiting an hour or more for taxis out of the city on Friday and Saturday nights, and the accord wanted to hear directly from drivers about possible solutions.
More secure taxi stands or a voucher system could help facilitate the multi-hiring of taxis, which would help reduce queues faster, Mr de With said.
Under NSW regulations, the multiple hiring of taxis is possible if all hirers and the driver agree.
Hirers must start the journey together, and their destinations must be in the same general direction. A passenger can be charged up to 75 per cent of the fare.
Taxi operators who spoke to The Herald said drivers were often unenthusiastic because the passengers might squabble over the fare.
Vouchers with passengers' addresses on them, extra security at ranks, better security staff at clubs, or clearer multi-hire tariffs were some changes that could alleviate the problem, they said.
"Multi-hiring would mean you wouldn't have three cabs all headed out to Charlestown carrying one person each," one operator said.
Newcastle police chief Superintendent Max Mitchell said he was aware there were tensions between hire cars and taxis in the city, but that police considered there were adequate transport services and taxis in place to move patrons after hotels and clubs closed.
Drivers were divided on whether police-imposed earlier closing times at Hamilton hotels would exacerbate the wait for taxis.
A spokeswoman for the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing said it had been invited to the meeting and would send a representative but that late-night transport management was an issue for the Transport Ministry
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http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/ ... 28259.aspx
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