Two months ago when the Victorian government legalised ride-sharing services like Uber, it also scrapped the taxi industry’s knowledge test.
This decision has seen a remarkable surge in number of applications put in by aspiring taxi drivers for accreditation, reports .
The report states that compared to 5956 applications received in 2015-16 and 3957 received in 2014-15, a whopping 5045 people have applied to the Taxi Services Commission for an accreditation since August this year.
This new boom in the number of taxi drivers will prove to be a boon to the industry, claims certain stakeholders.
13 Cabs, one of Melbourne’s known cab services, has inducted 471 drivers after the knowledge test was scrapped.
13 CABS chief operating officer Stuart Overell told that with more drivers available, more taxis will be deployed on roads. He also said there would be no tolerance for those taxi drivers who failed to satisfy their passengers.
“With more drivers, we have more opportunity to remove the bad ones out of the system because there is more choice,” Mr Overell told Herald Sun. “Those with bad ratings or feedback will be taken off the road.”
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