Sophie Cotsis MP met with struggling taxi plate owners from the Canterbury electorate on Thursday to discuss the hardships they are facing and to sign the NSW Taxi Industry Pledge.
Taxi plate owners met with Ms Cotsis and the Deputy CEO of the NSW Taxi Council, Nick Abrahim, in Earlwood to share their concerns with the lack of Government support and compensation.
Many of these owners come from migrant and CALD backgrounds who purchased taxi plates when they trusted Government advertising that encouraged people to buy a safe Government regulated product.
READ MORE: Greek community rallies against proposed taxi licence reforms in NSW.
However, since the introduction of the rideshare industry, value of taxi plates have significantly reduced. Many taxi plate owners have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“Speaking to these local taxi plate owners and hearing their struggles left me very emotional and in disbelief. In a Government regulated industry, the NSW Government has ignored the concerns of taxi plate owners and has left them in the dark with no financial viability,” Ms Cotsis said.
“For 6 years thousands of owners have been treated with disrespect by the NSW Government. The Government is offering them peanuts for plate that were once purchased for over $400,000.
READ MORE: Greek community continues to speak out against proposed taxi licence reforms in NSW.
“I will be writing representation to the Government on behalf of each taxi plate owner. NSW Labor will continue to support our Taxi plate owners have been overlooked and neglected for so many years by the NSW Government.”
On the day, Ms Cotsis also signed the NSW Taxi Council’s ‘NSW Taxi Industry Pledge,’ which supports fair and proper compensation for all taxi licence owners, the continuation of the Passenger Service Levy, and a viable, regulated and reliable taxi industry.
“I call on the Government to sign the NSW Taxi Industry Pledge,” she said.
“The upcoming by-elections are an opportunity to show the Government that their negligence will have consequences. I urge residents of Bega, Strathfield, Monaro and Willoughby to send a strong message.”
Ms Cotsis joins a number of other politicians from different parties who have also put their name to the pledge including, the NSW Shadow Minister for Small Business, Property and Multiculturalism, Steve Kamper; the Liberal Member for Castle Hill, Ray Williams; the Independent Member for Kiama, Gareth Ward; and Robert Borsak and Mark Banasiak from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party.
READ MORE: Greek community supports NSW Taxi Industry Pledge for fair compensation.
