MEL taxi scam

[LondonAussie]

This has sadly been going on for years and no crackdowns ever seem to solve it.

Until there’s frequent convenient public transport I don’t see it changing. Make it simple and easy to find and use legitimate transport and these people no longer have a viable market.

Better signage and educating people to avoid the scammers would probably also work better. Maybe the Australian government can add it to the “just declare it” commercial they force all international flights to play before landing.

Not a problem unique to Melbourne though, I’ve seen similar across many airports in Europe. Perhaps worse as they often lie to tourists about the public transport being expensive, inefficient or inconvenient.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Not a problem unique to Melbourne though, I’ve seen similar across many airports in Europe. Perhaps worse as they often lie to tourists about the public transport being expensive, inefficient or inconvenient.

And yet we now have 221 posts about a problem situation that requires little else than an eyebrow raise and walk past and get on with your life - hell knows there are some serious problems in the world today - touts at MEL are not one

 

[serfty]

And yet we now have 221 posts about a problem situation that requires little else than an eyebrow raise and walk past and get on with your life - hell knows there are some serious problems in the world today - touts at MEL are not one

You know that and I know that; most readers here know that.

One hopes this thread's existence serves as a warning for those not so aware from inexperience or tiredness who may be researching/getting transport from Melbourne airport.

Post #1 of this very thread is an example.

Spoiler: Post #1

Thread 'MEL taxi scam'

Nov 9, 2022

The other week I was down in Melbourne from Canberra for a conference, and after an early morning flight I was approached as I exited the terminal by a gent of... shall we say... western-Asian descent, who asked if I wanted a cab. I was kinda still half asleep, so I uttered yes, to which he asked me to follow him. First of all, I must say that being driven in a Mercedes might have social status, but the car was pretty ordinary compared to my BMWs, but the fare!!! well over $100 - WTF? This has got to be a scam. Normal taxi fares to Southbank (after some research) is only ~$80. Is...

• MikeG
• Replies: 225
• Forum: Taxis & Ridesharing Apps

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Safe Transport Victoria (which absorbed VCPV) has had crackdowns in the past:

Tackling Touting At Melbourne Airport | Safe Transport Victoria

Fines of up to $2,181 handed out to touts at Melbourne Airport show how serious CPVV is about tackling touting.

safetransport.vic.gov.au

But they seem to be sporadic. They have a blitz for a while and then stop. What they really should be doing is selecting a few days at random each month to hit the airport and rotating the people doing it, perhaps even getting in labour hire people or borrowing people from other departments for the day.

$2,000 is not even close to enough for a fine considering that the fine for going over the speed limit starts at $4,000 in Victoria for body corporates. And I would argue the harm to society in travelling on an unauthorized, likely improperly maintained and insured vehicle is far greater than some bloke going 5 clicks over the speed limit in Melbourne in their Woolies delivery van.

-RooFlyer88

 

[anat0l]

And yet we now have 221 posts about a problem situation that requires little else than an eyebrow raise and walk past and get on with your life - hell knows there are some serious problems in the world today - touts at MEL are not one

Sure it's not a serious problem, and it equally should have a quick, simple and easy resolution to get rid of it and have a much more pleasant arrival experience.

Even legitimising punching scammers in the face would be a very simple and effective solution.

OK, jokes aside. So where do we draw the line here. Yes, the solution to the situation is as simple as you describe it. If someone therefore falls for a scam and is ripped off, would it be safe to say that it is their fault for getting scammed - the resolution is education to ignore - rather than to shut down the scammer. Heaven forbid, if someone gets into a scam taxi and ends up dead, can we very much say that it is the fault of the murdered victim that they should have been wiser to ignore them in the first place? Yes, I am fully aware no one has died from these touts yet (and I'm going to guess no one has been robbed).

I know that taxi touts are prevalent all over the world. Their persistence, insistence and ferocity varies considerably, even if they can all be dealt with in the same way "effectively". I would like to think there are very few people who think that giving scammers any form of legitimacy is acceptable, that includes existing.

As an interesting tid bit, touts are quite rare at SIN Changi. Not sure why - aside maybe from Singaporeans being more law abiding overall compared to Australia and setting aside that there are more viable public transport options from Changi to the city centre - though the relevant Singaporean transport authority does follow up, track down and penalise "taxi drivers" operating illegally. Which is more than can be said about the authorities here in Australia.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

As an interesting tid bit, touts are quite rare at SIN Changi.

You can get the MRT from the terminal to Tanah Merah MRT then to the city in aircond for under $2.
PER can do it for $5 or so, more or less.
SYD can do it for $20, (grin).
BNE also about $20.
The touts being there at Tullamarine, nothing scares them off tho.
===
Skybus is always full, so $$$ to them.
Uber and taxi line out the front of T1/T3 always full, so there is $$$ there.
The 901/47* range, rarely full, but can be with savvy Asian pax with their big huge boxes, but usually not too full.
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There are so many ways to improve public transport to and from Tullamarine, take a look it this way, there is not even a PTV or Transport Victoria staffed booth anywhere there, there is not even one myki machine at the transport terminal far walk from T4, even further from T1/T2, the mykis that do exist are hard to find too, unless you know where to look.
Not to mention that none of the newsagencies there will recharge mykis either.