Editorial, April 10, 2002 Act Now on Cabbies

Wednesday 10 April 2002

EDITORIAL, APRIL 10, 2002 ACT NOW ON CABBIES

Publication: NTN (p10, 10-04-2002)
Section: Opinion
Keywords: "taxi (4)","taxis (2)"

WHAT on earth is happening in the Territory's taxi industry?First, a woman complained that a cabbie pestered her for sex while taking her home early one morning. Yes, she had had more than her fair share of drinks, but surely a woman has a right to be taken home in a taxi unmolested, regardless of whether she is drunk or not.

Then a woman complained that a cabbie had asked her for sex and had even come back to her unit after dropping her off. The victim says: "He shouldn't be driving taxis if he's like that."

And there are allegations that at least one taxi driver was involved in the rape of a 12-year-old girl at a house in Darwin's northern suburbs.

To top off this sordid saga, letters obtained by the Northern Territory News show that one driver is unfit to be on the road. An instructor says the woman didn't even know how to adjust her rear-view mirror and seat. Not surprisingly , she was involved in a crash soon after being let loose on Darwin's streets.

Transport Minister Kon Vatskalis has called for one of the sex pests to be sacked.

That's not enough. Both cabbies who asked for sex from passengers should be fired and barred from driving taxis again.

Obviously, if a driver was involved in the rape, he should be tracked down and prosecuted.

And the woman who can't drive properly should be taken off the road.

Mr Vataskalis should sort this one out -- after all, the woman was given her licence under his government.

The overwhelming majority of Territory cabbies are good and honest people working in a tough industry. And the Taxi Council, to its credit, has shown it wants the trade cleaned up.

Over to you, Mr Vatskalis.