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{\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl9\pnlcrm\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang{\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}\pard\plain \s16\qc\sb240\sa480\widctlpar \b\f5\fs32\kerning28 {\fs36 Submission on Taxi Access 
\par }\pard\plain \s17\qc\sb120\sa120\widctlpar \f4 Lee Anderson Brown (B.A. Hons)
\par \pard \s17\qc\sb120\sa480\widctlpar Tuesday, 3 July, 2001
\par \pard\plain \s2\sb360\sa240\keepn\widctlpar \b\i\f5 Introduction
\par \pard\plain \s15\qj\sa120\widctlpar \f4 I would like, in this submission, to address two questions mentioned in the guidelines: response times in taxi-cabs and making the general fleet of taxi-cabs more 
accessible to people of limited mobility.  The first part of my paper does not seek to detail specific answers to the inquiry but suggest issues which I believe are not adequately addressed in any of the current discussions about the taxi industry.  Too m
uch I what I\rquote 
ve read and heard attempts to simplify a very complex situation with simple arithmetic: more cabs on the road = more passengers able to be picked up. I would argue that the question is not, and never has, been so simple.  Cabs ply their trade i
n the context of an urban road system and problems in that system profoundly effect the ability of cabs to efficiently pick up and transport people.  The more time a cab spends travelling to where people are waiting, or in taking them to a destination, th
e smaller number of people are able to utilise that particular cab during its time on the road. 
\par \pard \s15\qj\sa120\widctlpar The second part of my paper is more straightforward.  As a taxi-driver of ten years standing I have regularly picked up passengers in wheel-chairs in regular ca
bs.  While most of these passengers had some upper arm strength or w
ere able to stand for short times many still found it difficult to move across into the passenger seat of the cab.  I have often thought that some form of flexible strap, attached to the roof of the cab, would better allow many of these passengers to tran
sfer themselves from the wheel-chair to passenger seat and out again.  Such a strap could either be permanently fixed to the roof (and clipped against the roof lining when not needed) or k
ept somewhere (for example in the glove box) and quickly snapped onto a special anchor point ready for use.  This I believe would make more of the general fleet accessible to a larger number of people with limited mobility at little cost.
\par \pard\plain \s2\sb360\sa240\keepn\widctlpar \b\i\f5 Response times in taxi-cabs
\par \pard\plain \s15\qj\sa120\widctlpar \f4 It is unwise to discuss response times in taxi-cabs without discussing how general traffic flow assists or hinders the ability of a taxi-cab respond quickly to a booking.  
As traffic speeds in Sydney slow generally or, and more relevant to this
 discussion, as traffic flow is forced out of residential areas and streamed onto main roads, it becomes more difficult for taxi-cabs to move from one residential area to another, or to a commercial precinct, in order to pick-up or convey passengers.  Not
 only are more vehicles forced into a limited number of \lquote through-corridors\rquote 
 but if there is any traffic incident (eg., accident, breakdown, malfunction of traffic signals or other localised disruption of traffic flow) restrictions to traffic flow make it di
fficult to move around such incidents.  The push to keep traffic out of local streets, in order to make streets safer for local residents, is a worthy objective and should be respected, however I would argue that the problems this trend poses for the effi
cient conveyance of passengers need to be addressed before a viable policy can be formulated.  This is as true for taxi-cabs as it is for emergency vehicles whose own problems with this trend were lately discussed in the media.
\par \pard \s15\qj\sb120\sa120\widctlpar Restrictions to general traff
ic flow have the following effects: response times are increased, the number of passengers able to be conveyed by any one vehicle is decreased, journey times are increased which lead to increases in individual journey costs and hence passenger cost; conve
rsely driver incomes are decreased with longer \lquote running empty\rquote  times and an increased percentage of the fare being composed of \lquote waiting time\rquote  (which I\rquote m told comes into effect at speeds less than 40khr).   
\par \pard \s15\qj\sb120\sa120\widctlpar If this sounds counter-intuitive consider the foll
owing example: a trip from the Sydney CBD to Parramatta would normally cost around $30-$35 and take around 30 minutes, interruptions to traffic flow can mean that this fare could take around an hour and cost $40-$50.  In the first example a driver, if the
y are able to pick up a similar fare after dropping the first, has the potential to take $60-$70 dollars during that hour; in the second they are restricted to the whole value of the first fare, therefore while the passenger is paying a higher individual 
fare the driver\rquote 
s turnover has a potential drop of $20-$30 if not more.  Also note that the longer any cab spends on one journey means the lesser number of journeys, and hence number of passengers conveyed, it is able to achieve in any one shift.   
\par \pard \s15\qj\sa120\widctlpar This example shows that the usual solution suggested to decrease response times \emdash  an increase in taxi-cab numbers \emdash 
 may actually work against the possibility of achieving that objective.  More cabs on the road mean that there are more vehicles in the traffic flow.
  It should be remembered that unlike most vehicles, which travel from one point to another and then stop for a period, taxi-cabs have a continuous presence in the traffic flow, therefore the impact of any increase in their overall numbers needs to be fac
tored in as a multiple compared to the effects of increases in the numbers of other vehicles.  As well more cabs would erode driver income more quickly than the process outlined above is already doing, with the likely consequence that less people would co
nsider driving a taxi as a viable occupation.
\par \pard \s15\qj\sa120\widctlpar A more appropriate response needs to understand the role taxi-cabs play in a city\rquote 
s overall transport infrastructure.  Taxi journeys are often from one local area to another local area (either in the same suburb or another suburb).  Anything which restric
ts access to a local area makes it more difficult for a taxi to carry out one of its major activities and could actively discourage a driver choosing to do a particular job: a decision I\rquote ve had to confront persona
lly as a driver on many occasions.   If follows therefore that giving cabs better access to local areas would improve response and journey times.   Unfortunately this consideration never seems to be on the table when cab availability is discussed.
\par \pard \s15\qj\sa120\widctlpar 
The best solution to this problem does not necessarily require winding back the trend to restrict traffic flow to local areas (something which would recreate the problems local traffic areas are designed to solve).  It does need however much more thought 
to be given to the way signage, speed-humps and road-blocks are used to achieve this purpose.  
\par \pard \s15\qj\sa120\widctlpar 
At present many taxi drivers put their licences (and sometimes passengers) at risk under the imperatives of responding quickly to radio jobs or trying to convey their passengers quickly to a destination.  Many times on the road I\rquote 
ve seen cabs turn against No-Right Turn signs, red arrows at lights or do U-turns over double-white lines.  I\rquote ve also been abused by passengers for taking the lawful route to a destination when d
isobeying such traffic directions would save them time and money.   I\rquote 
m not arguing that cab drivers should be given special exemption to the traffic rules but that consideration should be given to how cabs move in the traffic and allowances made with som
e signage to facilitate that.  For example buses are given permission to turn right at some places where all other traffic is forbidden, it would take a small change to extend this right to taxis.  Similarly many signs place blanket restrictions on entry 
(again, especially for right turns off main roads) where some form of peak hour restriction may be more appropriate.  It would be possible to go on with examples but as they are specific to certain locales there is little point in this document. 
\par \pard \s15\qj\sa120\widctlpar 
More generally, the principle needs to be established that the objective of such signs, to keep through traffic off local roads, needs to be balanced with the understanding that cabs, in many cases, are local traffic.  Unfortunately the result of the curr
ent situatio
n is that one worthy objective makes it more difficult to achieve another worthy objective because the second objective is not considered in the deliberations.  I firmly believe that until there is some recognition of this problem and mechanisms put into 
place to make the role of cabs, as a part of the public transport infrastructure, a consideration in any traffic management decision all the talk of decreasing response times or increasing availability will not produce results acceptable to any of the par
ties involved. 
\par \pard\plain \s2\sb360\sa240\keepn\widctlpar \b\i\f5 Making the General Taxi Fleet more acceptable
\par \pard\plain \s15\qj\sa120\widctlpar \f4 As I drive a station wagon I\rquote 
m often called on to convey people who are in a wheel chair but have the capacity to transfer themselves, with some help, into the passenger seat of the cab.   This process would be greatly facilitated with some form of strap 
or hand grip built into the roof of the cab.  While modern cabs do come with hand grips in the roof they are rather lightweight and not easily utilised by a passenger in the majority of cases I\rquote ve 
dealt with.   If there was some flexible strap or other hand-hold solidly anchored to the roof body, and clipped out of the way until needed, which a person could use to hold their weight while swinging themselves from the chair to the passenger seat it w
ould make the process much easier for the passenger, their friends, and the driver.  As there are many taxi-cabs which are sold as \lquote taxi-packs\rquote 
 the inclusion of such a strap could easily be accommodated during the fitting out; all it would encompass is the 
welding of an appropriate anchor point and clip-stud.  This would be an easy way to make the general taxi-cab fleet more accessible for those people in chairs, on crutches or walking sticks, or in walking frames who still have some upper arm strength, and
 help simplify what presently can be an awkward procedure for all involved. 
\par \pard\plain \s2\sb360\sa240\keepn\widctlpar \b\i\f5 Recommendations and Conclusion
\par \pard\plain \s15\qj\sa120\widctlpar \f4 At present local councils are actively restricting access to local areas by forcing general traffic to enter and exit the area by a small number of s
treets.  This, as I have shown, creates special problems for taxi-cabs.  When councils are making their decisions there needs to be some thought given to the how these restrictions impact on ability of taxi-cabs to efficiently carry out their task. While 
this is not the general responsibility of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission I believe that unless the processes outlined above are considered as an important aspect of the whole problem better taxi-cab availability cannot be achieved.  I w
ou
ld recommend therefore that during the inquiry some form of discussion be initiated with the relevant local, state and federal government bodies which would result in guidelines drawn up to allow the objective of quieter local streets to coexist with bett
er access for taxi-cabs.
\par }