ACMA crackdown on Melbourne taxi drivers with GPS jammers

[toowongman]

from Showing taxi drivers the way

Melbourne taxi drivers are better educated about banned GPS jammers, following a joint ACMA and Victorian Taxi Directorate (VTD) campaign called Operation Signal.Since 2004, it has been illegal to supply, possess (for the purpose of operation or supply) and operate a GPS jammer in Australia. The ACMA and VTD implemented Operation Signal following information received by the ACMA.
Stage one was to substantiate our intelligence and gather further information by monitoring Melbourne CBD taxi ranks for potential GPS jammer use. We achieved both of these goals.
On 14 March 2013, we joined forces with the VTD to carry out stage two of Operation Signal at Melbourne Airport. Other state and Commonwealth law enforcement agencies were also there to conduct their own enquires.
ACMA inspectors headed to the Melbourne Airport taxi holding yard armed with fact sheets and a spectrum analyser. Over the course of the afternoon, the inspectors spoke to approximately 300 drivers about GPS jammers and the legal consequences of supply, possession or operation. The information was well received, with drivers engaging in conversation and asking questions.
The operation was a success and hundreds of taxi drivers now understand that GPS jammers are prohibited devices.

 

[muppet]

from Showing taxi drivers the way

Interesting.

Excuse my ignorance, why do they need GPS jammers?

 

[brett-au]

Wait. What? Why? I dont understand why drivers need the blockers. To stop tourists seeing the driver is taking the scenic route? To stop owners seeing how far they are driving? To stop the government checking the meter is accurate?

 

[Fnordish]

I'm curious, what were they using them for?
Was it to stop passengers from using maps on their phones or to stop some sort of tracking?!?
A lot of the taxis in ADL seem to have a GPS map built into the job system computer thingo, so I'm guessing they wouldn't be jamming GPS?!?
Odd.

EDIT: OK, feeling less stupid now that I'm not the only one posting this . . . at the same time.

 

[jetlagger]

My thoughts & experiences suggest that it would be better to use a pong meter in many taxis & a mandatory daily washing ritual & introduction of deodorant for many drivers, would be more appropriate.

 

[Paddy55]

Taxi drivers acting true to stereotype I'm afraid

 

[whatmeworry]

A family friend owns his own taxi and years ago I noticed his taxi had 13 inch rims. I didn't think much till I later found out many taxi owners were swapping the standard 15 inch rims of Fords and Commodores for 13 inch rims. By putting on smaller rims it tricked the meters into thinking the taxi travelled further and thus got bigger fares.
So I reckon it is probably something to do with fares but what/how? Perhaps employee drivers not wanting the owner where they drive and thus getting the cash for themselves.

 

[Paddy55]

A family friend owns his own taxi and years ago I noticed his taxi had 13 inch rims. I didn't think much till I later found out many taxi owners were swapping the standard 15 inch rims of Fords and Commodores for 13 inch rims. By putting on smaller rims it tricked the meters into thinking the taxi travelled further and thus got bigger fares.
So I reckon it is probably something to do with fares but what/how? Perhaps employee drivers not wanting the owner where they drive and thus getting the cash for themselves.

Refer Post # 6 (rolls eyes)

 

[RWJ777]

Taxis remain one of the shameful cartels in this country. No state government has the guts to open the licences to the market to make them more affordable and available, and reduce entry costs and therefore prices. Another disgraceful example of the community subsidising a protected monopoly, ironically to the community's great disadvantage.

 

[Simo]

IMHO the Taxi Industry is cartel that needs to be broken as they can rip off PAXs and change prices as they want to.

 

[Mal]

I would be happy if the driver quality improved...

 

[Sprucegoose]

There are a lot of hard working decent folk in the game as well. Let's be balanced as I know we can be!!

 

[jetlagger]

There are a lot of hard working decent folk in the game as well. Let's be balanced as I know we can be!!

But the simple fact is; the honest hard working, experienced & importantly knowledgeable local is sadly in the minority nowadays.

 

[Sprucegoose]

But the simple fact is; the honest hard working, experienced & importantly knowledgeable local is sadly in the minority nowadays.

Thats why I discriminate and use guys that know the game

 

[ozmille]

got stung last time in SYD, got in a cab (a van) after arriving back from Europe so a bit dazed and didn't pay attention to the meter, when I got home the fare was double to what I am used to and when I asked why the guy said I had taken a Maxi Taxi and had to pay Maxi Taxi rates :shock:

*edit*
therefore I now only use the train to go to and from the airport, or soon the QF provided transfer

 

[Sprucegoose]

got stung last time in SYD, got in a cab (a van) after arriving back from Europe so a bit dazed and didn't pay attention to the meter, when I got home the fare was double to what I am used to and when I asked why the guy said I had taken a Maxi Taxi and had to pay Maxi Taxi rates :shock:

*edit*
therefore I now only use the train to go to and from the airport, or soon the QF provided transfer

thats only if you order a maxi taxi....these guys give the industry a bad (worse?) name

 

[codash1099]

90%of taxi drivers give the other 10% a bad name.

(With apologies to the originator of the lawyer joke)

 

[kpc]

got stung last time in SYD, got in a cab (a van) after arriving back from Europe so a bit dazed and didn't pay attention to the meter, when I got home the fare was double to what I am used to and when I asked why the guy said I had taken a Maxi Taxi and had to pay Maxi Taxi rates :shock:

*edit*
therefore I now only use the train to go to and from the airport, or soon the QF provided transfer

You should still pay the standard rate unless there is 5 or more if you!

 

[ozmille]

thats only if you order a maxi taxi....these guys give the industry a bad (worse?) name

You should still pay the standard rate unless there is 5 or more if you!

yup, afterwards I checked it with some colleagues and they told me that as I just took the cab from the rank it shouldn't have been like that. Live and learn I say, I do try to avoid taking taxis since that though

 

[medhead]

Taxis remain one of the shameful cartels in this country. No state government has the guts to open the licences to the market to make them more affordable and available, and reduce entry costs and therefore prices. Another disgraceful example of the community subsidising a protected monopoly, ironically to the community's great disadvantage.

Interesting comment. How does the community subsidise a protected monopoly? The taxi licence is not the monopoly, the monopoly comes from being part of the job dispatch system, the radio network. Plus of course the payment processing monopoly of cab charge, but there are ways around cab charge. Well there were when I drove of a taxi company that wasn't part of the cabcharge system. I could still accept cabcharge as I had someone who would take them for me.

But that's getting sidetracked. There are 3 taxi companies in Adelaide for example, and I'm sure they compete it certainways. So it certainly isn't a monopoly. It might appear that way because the all charge the same fares. But that is because the fares are regulated. The taxi meter is calibrated and set according to government regulations. So in a situation where people insist on running the meter then of course they are going to pay the legislated fare.

The other issue is the structure of the taxi industry. That taxi fare not only pays the driver, it pays the owner or licence lease holder, the radio network, and the payment processing network, and maybe meter related fees. Plus buys a car and fills it with petrol. To make a semi-decent wage out of this you have poor sods sitting in that car for 12+ hours a day. There are drivers who take out a single - 24 hours, or even 24 hours x5 days. And when you add all those hours up you'll be lucky to get more than $10 an hour.

Then you have the B@stards, (from sunnybank or ascot in Brisbane), who'll do a running on you, or get you to drive them all over the place and then not pay, or will smash the cough out of your car just for good measure before doing the runner.

In any case, all of that is paid by the fare, there is no cash payments handed out by government to taxi drivers.

IMHO the Taxi Industry is cartel that needs to be broken as they can rip off PAXs and change prices as they want to.

The fares are regulated, they can't really charge whatever prices they want. If they do then you really need to take them to the police station. Or get the number and report it.