I was proud to drive a cab, but my industry has lost its way

The recent Age and 60 Minutes exposé by Nick McKenzie and others has further damaged the industry’s reputation. It’s alleged that taxi drivers have engaged in widespread fraud, overcharging, processing inflated fares on Cabcharge products, and exploiting passengers. Despite clear evidence of dodgy practices, it appears little meaningful action has been taken.

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Not only has 13cabs’ reputation been tarnished, but the entire industry has been cast in a negative light. While most drivers do the right thing, their integrity is being overshadowed by those gaming the system. Loyal passengers and corporate clients are turning elsewhere in search of fairer treatment.

In response, the Victorian government has launched an investigation into 13cabs and its practices. Scrutiny is long overdue, as public trust continues to erode. If the taxi industry wants to survive, it must restore integrity, hold wrongdoers accountable, and rebuild confidence before it’s too late.

Looking back, I realise how much driving a taxi shaped me. It taught me resilience, quick thinking, and how to read people in an instant. It gave me an unfiltered front-row seat to life in all its chaos, comedy and promise.

But most of all, it taught me that work should be valued. The hours, the skill, the effort, it all means something. A fair day’s work should be rewarded with a fair day’s pay. That principle once defined the taxi industry. It doesn’t any more.

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Today, drivers are working just as hard for far less. The market has been flooded with under-trained and unregulated drivers, turning the industry into a chaotic free for all. It’s no surprise passengers have lost trust.

I saw it firsthand during the Australian Open – cabs refusing short fares, quoting double or triple what the meter would show, and leaving stranded passengers behind. The trust is gone. And without trust, the industry is doomed.

It’s hard to see a path back. Until the taxi industry values its drivers, restores passenger confidence and lifts its standards, it will remain on a downwards spiral.

For those of us who remember the golden days of taxi driving, it’s a sad sight. What was once a proud profession is now just another casualty of the gig economy, where the only thing that matters is who can do it cheapest, not who can do it best.

Rod Barton, former MP in the Legislative Council, is a dedicated advocate for taxi and gig workers.

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