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South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Chairman Hieu Van Le (left) with the Consul General of India, Mr Sujan R. Chinoy and taxi driver Sukhwinder Singh.
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Mr Hieu Van Le (right) with Pakistani taxi driver Ashraf Khan and Consul General of Pakistan, Mr Mohammad Azam. |
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SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS ON TAXI DRIVER SAFETY ISSUES
Adelaide’s Indian and Pakistani taxi drivers have agreed to a range of initiatives aimed at increasing driver safety and passenger awareness.
The agreement came after Indian driver representatives met on 29 May 2008 with the Consul General of India, Mr Sujan R. Chinoy and after Pakistani driver representatives met on 5 June with the Consul General of Pakistan, Mr Mohammad Azam.
Both meetings were organised by Multicultural S.A. on behalf of the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission (SAMEAC).
Commission Chairman Mr Hieu Van Le, who convened the meetings after inviting the Consuls General to Adelaide, says the one of the most successful outcomes of the meetings is the setting up of a regular driver safety issues forum for drivers of all backgrounds to raise safety issues and negotiate improvements.
The Forum will have its first meeting on 11 June.
Mr Le explained to the drivers at each meeting that the South Australian Government was keen to hear the drivers’ concerns and to address them through a thoughtful, democratic and fair process that improves safety and conditions for all of the State’s 5,500 drivers.
The driver representatives have agreed to a framework for future discussions and negotiations, through the driver safety issues forum, to be jointly convened by the Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure (D.T.E.I.) and the Taxi Council S.A.
Multicultural S.A. and D.T.E.I. undertook to provide all drivers with information about how to lodge a complaint if they believed they had been subject to racial discrimination or vilification.
The President of the Indian Australian Association, Mrs Promila Gupta, and the President of the Sikh Society of SA, Mr Sukninder Sangedha, attended the meeting with the Indian drivers and offered their support to any Indian taxi drivers seeking community support.
The General Secretary of the Pakistani-Australian Association of S.A. Dr Afzal Mahmood and the President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association of Australia Inc., Dr Ahmad Abid Munir attended the meeting with the Pakistani drivers and also offered their support.
The Consul General of Pakistan, Mr Azam and the Consul General of India, Mr Chinoy, both assured the drivers that the Pakistani Government and the Indian Government were equally keen to ensure that the estimated 1,200 Pakistani-background and Indian-background drivers in Adelaide were listened to and their concerns acted upon.
The Government has created three new positions - for drivers - on the Premier’s Taxi Council, an advisory body made up of central booking services, taxi drivers, operators, tourism and consumer advocates.
The Department of Transport, Taxi Council and SA Police have been able to assure drivers that most of their requests already have been implemented or are already available.
These included:
- Any taxi owner can install a security screen in their vehicle or vehicles;
- The Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure will begin a trial of security screens by some of the drivers who have requested them, followed by an evaluation of driver and customer acceptance;
- Procedures for responding to emergency alarms (panic buttons) will be streamlined;
- Drivers can request a deposit, up to the estimated value of a fare, in advance;
- Drivers have a right to refuse to take intoxicated passengers;
Signage is available, from the Taxi Council, for inside and outside of taxis, about the fare structure, about the driver’s right to request a fare in advance; and about the driver’s right to refuse to take an intoxicated passenger.
The Taxi Council has also offered:
- to provide driver refresher training in cultural awareness and emergency procedures;
- to provide training courses such as that offered by Relationships Australia in how to identify passengers with mental health issues; and
- to investigate with the SA Police, a central point where drivers can record incidents against them, for statistical purposes;
- to produce information brochures for drivers in other languages, on a range of issues.
Topics covered by the brochures will include:
- Who to contact about safety, industrial relations or racial discrimination issues;
- Security screens;
- Pre-paid fares;
- Cameras and alarm systems; and
- Recording of incidences against taxi drivers.
In addition, the Taxi Council will set up a Driver Welfare Sub-Committee to hear and address issues other than safety, such as problems with gambling and finances, poor health, lack of career direction and lack of assertiveness.
Multicultural SA will provide further information about the outcomes from Taxi Driver Safety Issues Forum meetings via the Multicultural SA website, as details become available.
Further information about the Forum is available from:
Mr Bill Gonis, Manager of Passenger Transport, Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure 0428 107 736 8226 8019 Email: gonis.bill@transport.sa.gov.au
Ms Cheryle Rignanese, State Secretary TCSA 8293 6000 Email: admin@taxicouncilsa.com.au
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