MEL taxi scam

[Brissy1]

...wonder why security aren’t moving them along?

"That's not my job"

 

[SYD]

"That's not my job"

I suspect it is their job if the Airport bothered enforcing the law (Touting has been illegal since 2019 with fines upto to $10k).

https://safetransport.vic.gov.au/news/tackling-touting-at-melbourne-airport/

 

[Hvr]

I suspect it is their job if the Airport bothered enforcing the law (Touting has been illegal since 2019 with fines upto to $10k).
https://safetransport.vic.gov.au/news/tackling-touting-at-melbourne-airport/

I doubt the airport really cares. They got their money from UBER to let them park at the front, and relegated the taxis to the far ends.

And by delaying the AP train, the money train will keep on rolling.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

"That's not my job"

It's times like these where you would really like to say DYKWIA?

I suspect it is their job if the Airport bothered enforcing the law (Touting has been illegal since 2019 with fines upto to $10k).

https://safetransport.vic.gov.au/news/tackling-touting-at-melbourne-airport/

Presumably you could call the police and report it? I wonder too if you do report it, presumably even lil' ol Melborn airport has security cameras that capture touters in action and therefore could prosecute them given such evidence by the airport authority.

I doubt the airport really cares. They got their money from UBER to let them park at the front, and relegated the taxis to the far ends.

Yes but presumably Uber rides are licensed.

And by delaying the AP train, the money train will keep on rolling.

Melborn is a small city in Australia, mate. They aren't as big as Sydney, Brisbane or Perth (all of which have airport links). Indeed I reckon Darwin airport will get a rail link before little ol' Melborn does!

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Took the Skybus yesterday to Melbourne Tullamarine airport and whilst walking towards the stairs from the arrivals to the departures a touter came up to me and asked if I wanted a cab. When I got up to the checkin desk I saw several AFP officers there (presumably investigating something) and was tempted to let them know of this but decided against it as I figured AFP isn’t concerned about such trivial matters as this and frankly had a flight to catch.

-RooFlyer88

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Uber has taken on the "(mafia)" sort of thing at MEL airport.
They now get first dibs out of int arrivals, out front of MEL airport.
The poor taxi drivers must now feel really down string their livelihood drop.
Touts too need to earn a living tho, heh, "as illegal" as it might be.

 

[AFF Editor]

Despite taxi touting being illegal in Victoria since 2019, this is still very much a problem at Melbourne Airport, as I've explained in this AFF article:

Melbourne Airport's Taxi Touts Still Active: What Gives?

Unlicensed drivers are still hassling passengers at Melbourne Airport, almost six years since taxi touting became illegal in Victoria.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[lovestotravel]

Melbourne is a developing 3rd world Country/City these days

 

[LondonAussie]

Melbourne is a developing 3rd world Country/City these days

For someone with the name “lovestotravel”, your comment makes it sound like you never have.

 

[Saab34]

They are shocking, I see them hanging around the exit part at T4 nearly every time. Very quietly they just mumble to everyone walking past ‘you need a taxi’ ‘taxi taxi’

 

[Happy Dude]

Where do they park? The 1hr free parking isn't intended for people to leave the car at.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Greatest non story of all time - just walk past them and in a loud voice tell them to go line up like all other taxis do - it ain’t like MEL is only airport in the world where this occurs as it’s prevalent many locations.

If this is the biggest problem you dudes encounter in life you should be very happy

 

[Berlin]

Great to see this article and thread here- I was totally shocked the other day about this STILL being the case. I actually noticed something that might be the REAL reason they don’t get this under control: Some of the official taxi guides and parking “officers” at Melbourne seem to just be waaaay to collegial with these touts. And how could airport employees not know them all, they’re there all day! I smell a big game of “cash within families” here.

And it doesn’t help that- at least the last two times- it seemed to be two distinct teams of Indians and then some kind of Eastern European (not sure, my language skills over there are limited- wasn’t Russian or Polish, I’d recognise those… Bulgarians or Romanians maybe?). Both having “contacts” of same background with official staff members and all sticking together but never taking to each other.

Whatever it is, proper enforcement is either not wanted or not deemed important enough. And it’s not something that feels inviting or like a civilised developed country when arriving from overseas. Quite embarrassing for Australia, in my mind. And strangely way less a problem in Sydney and virtually non-existent elsewhere in Australia so it CAN be sorted.

 

[nancypants]

Add in the ongoing uber x scam….

 

[Saab34]

Add in the ongoing uber x scam….

What’s that one?

 

[Murmal]

I find it a sad reflection of standards, customs, civility, service, a whole lot of wrongs that have worsened the industry worldwide, not just at MEL. Once reliable taxi services have been squeezed out by people chasing cheap. Nefarious drivers and new gig operators have conned a lot of the public to accept a change in practices and sometimes not for the better.
We've all got, heard or read stories of horror experiences being conned, cheated, misinformed or just abused in some way, by standard taxi drivers or Uber, Lyft etc, be it from a lot of places, MEL, JFK, AKL or CNS but the touting @ MEL is the next level down.
Something you might expect to experience elsewhere but not in Australia. Management @ MEL are virtually ignoring the menace. The actors are totally emboldened to approach everyone with a piece of luggage. I have often wanted to say, "You're illegal. You're breaking the law and attempting to steal the custom of a lawful service." However, they're obviously so fearless of anything being done to prevent them and I'd more than likely get a punch in the face!
As others have said, "walk on, ignore them," but it's something that can and should be stopped. The whole industry has gone downhill enough already.

 

[nancypants]

What’s that one?

Essentially all to do with the Uber PIN thing. Get in the car, give your PIN. Driver starts driving, then says “oh your PIN didn’t work”, “the app isn’t working”, give me your address and we can just go there and sort it out

https://www.reddit.com/r/melbourne/s/QgFjo83e5O

Workarounds are to book something that doesn’t use PIN ie premium for example

 

[Spamam]

MEL QANTAS Domestic never fails to give that experience of an Indian domestic airport terminal although many there now provide a modern better experience