Taxi passengers have been warned to be on high alert for price gouging attempts ahead of the Australian Open in Melbourne as an industry leader calls on the government to crack down on a new scam.13cabs spokesperson David Samuel said some independent drivers are using new payment technology that is not connected to the meter to charge passengers more."We need to stamp that out and we need regulations to make that happen," he said.
Taxi passengers have been warned to be on the look-out for price gouging attempts ahead of the Australian Open in Melbourne. (9News)Reputable taxi drivers have a payment terminal attached to their meter which prevents them from adding extra charges.Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said it is already illegal for drivers to refuse to turn on their meter."If you're in a cab and you see this sort of behaviour going on, get the details, report it to Safe Transport Victoria, because it's absolutely unacceptable," she said.However, Samuel argued the state can't rely on passengers to lodge complaints."We need to cut the problem off at the source," he said."First and foremost, get in a car with livery on it, so you can report any problems that do occur."The problem has left law-abiding drivers frustrated that a few operators are giving the entire industry a bad name."This thing is very frustrating, especially for me," independent driver Madan Lal said.The Australian Open begins in Melbourne on January 12.
