❓ Question regarding inappropriate taxi driver behaviour towards female passengers and government initiatives to address the issue. The Minister responds with a personal anecdote and outlines planned changes to improve driver standards and monitoring.
AnsweredQoN 27Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TAXIDRIVER BEHAVIOUR
My question is also to the Minister for Transport and it is also about taxis. I refer in particular to an article in The West Australian headed “Women warned of taxi dangers” and I refer to the Minister for Transport’s comments of 10 February when he stated — … it was apparent that a small minority of taxi drivers were having a significant and damaging impact on the industry. He said the Government was developing initiatives to improve the standards of drivers entering the taxi industry. (1) Is the minister concerned about the recent increases in the inappropriate behaviour and language of taxidrivers towards female passengers? (2) How many times should a taxidriver be allowed to engage in inappropriate behaviour or use inappropriate language towards a female passenger before they lose their job? (3) Would the minister’s own standards of behaviour be appropriate for taxidrivers? Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL
My question is also to the Minister for Transport and it is also about taxis. I refer in particular to an article in The West Australian headed “Women warned of taxi dangers” and I refer to the Minister for Transport’s comments of 10 February when he stated — … it was apparent that a small minority of taxi drivers were having a significant and damaging impact on the industry. He said the Government was developing initiatives to improve the standards of drivers entering the taxi industry. (1) Is the minister concerned about the recent increases in the inappropriate behaviour and language of taxidrivers towards female passengers? (2) How many times should a taxidriver be allowed to engage in inappropriate behaviour or use inappropriate language towards a female passenger before they lose their job? (3) Would the minister’s own standards of behaviour be appropriate for taxidrivers? Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I think it was just before Christmas that I was at a social function south of the river at a private house. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Are you going to answer the question or tell a story? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No, I am going to answer the question as this is a very serious issue. I was trying to get a cab with some friends — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
He said the Government was developing initiatives to improve the standards of drivers entering the taxi industry.
(2) How many times should a taxidriver be allowed to engage in inappropriate behaviour or use inappropriate language towards a female passenger before they lose their job? (3) Would the minister’s own standards of behaviour be appropriate for taxidrivers? Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)–(3) I think it was just before Christmas that I was at a social function south of the river at a private house. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Are you going to answer the question or tell a story? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No, I am going to answer the question as this is a very serious issue. I was trying to get a cab with some friends — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
(3) Would the minister’s own standards of behaviour be appropriate for taxidrivers? Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)–(3) I think it was just before Christmas that I was at a social function south of the river at a private house. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Are you going to answer the question or tell a story? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No, I am going to answer the question as this is a very serious issue. I was trying to get a cab with some friends — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)–(3) I think it was just before Christmas that I was at a social function south of the river at a private house. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Are you going to answer the question or tell a story? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No, I am going to answer the question as this is a very serious issue. I was trying to get a cab with some friends — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)–(3) I think it was just before Christmas that I was at a social function south of the river at a private house. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Are you going to answer the question or tell a story? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No, I am going to answer the question as this is a very serious issue. I was trying to get a cab with some friends — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
(1)–(3) I think it was just before Christmas that I was at a social function south of the river at a private house. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Are you going to answer the question or tell a story? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No, I am going to answer the question as this is a very serious issue. I was trying to get a cab with some friends — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Mrs M.H. Roberts : Are you going to answer the question or tell a story? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No, I am going to answer the question as this is a very serious issue. I was trying to get a cab with some friends — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No, I am going to answer the question as this is a very serious issue. I was trying to get a cab with some friends — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
He said the Government was developing initiatives to improve the standards of drivers entering the taxi industry.
(2) How many times should a taxidriver be allowed to engage in inappropriate behaviour or use inappropriate language towards a female passenger before they lose their job? (3) Would the minister’s own standards of behaviour be appropriate for taxidrivers? Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)–(3) I think it was just before Christmas that I was at a social function south of the river at a private house. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Are you going to answer the question or tell a story? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No, I am going to answer the question as this is a very serious issue. I was trying to get a cab with some friends — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
(3) Would the minister’s own standards of behaviour be appropriate for taxidrivers? Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)–(3) I think it was just before Christmas that I was at a social function south of the river at a private house. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Are you going to answer the question or tell a story? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No, I am going to answer the question as this is a very serious issue. I was trying to get a cab with some friends — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)–(3) I think it was just before Christmas that I was at a social function south of the river at a private house. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Are you going to answer the question or tell a story? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No, I am going to answer the question as this is a very serious issue. I was trying to get a cab with some friends — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)–(3) I think it was just before Christmas that I was at a social function south of the river at a private house. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Are you going to answer the question or tell a story? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No, I am going to answer the question as this is a very serious issue. I was trying to get a cab with some friends — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
(1)–(3) I think it was just before Christmas that I was at a social function south of the river at a private house. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Are you going to answer the question or tell a story? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No, I am going to answer the question as this is a very serious issue. I was trying to get a cab with some friends — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Mrs M.H. Roberts : Are you going to answer the question or tell a story? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No, I am going to answer the question as this is a very serious issue. I was trying to get a cab with some friends — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No, I am going to answer the question as this is a very serious issue. I was trying to get a cab with some friends — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Unfortunately, we could not get a taxi. So, we went down to Raffles Hotel. A lot of cabs come to Raffles Hotel because it is easy to get a fare. Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Dr J.M. Woollard : And because it’s a lovely area. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Okay; thanks for that! As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
As we were waiting outside, I saw a couple of things that really did concern me, member for Midland. In particular, it was about closing time and there were a number of young ladies and young guys, but in particular young ladies who came out quite inebriated, I think, would be a fair term to say. They obviously had a good night, and good luck to them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Mrs M.H. Roberts : They must have been pretty scared when they saw you! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I suppose that is for each individual to determine. I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
I stood there waiting for a cab and I watched and I was really concerned to see some of these young girls, a couple of them unaccompanied, get into cabs. I was really concerned, and that is one of the reasons we are trying to make changes. The other thing that concerned me, to be frank, is that there was a crowd controller working on the rank, which was good. It is almost as though, from the crowd controllers’ point of view, all they want to do is move the person on; and that is a concern to me as well. My view is that it is most unwise for those young ladies to be in those cabs by themselves in certain circumstances. But I do make the point that it is a few bad apples that spoil the reputation of a lot of people who work extremely hard. This was a message that came through time and time again in my meeting with taxidrivers last week. We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
We will be making changes to standards that apply at an entry-level point; and, as I indicated before, we will be making changes to the way we monitor the ongoing performance and behaviour of taxidrivers. One of the key tools in doing that will be the installation of the new cameras. As I said, the existing cameras 50 per cent of the time fail to deliver an image. They do not record voice, so it is almost impossible at the moment to investigate a complaint unless it is of a serious nature when the police get involved, because it quickly becomes a “he said, she said” scenario. I have told the industry that these new cameras will give the inspectors in the Department of Transport—I have been criticised for doing so by some civil libertarians—the opportunity when serious complaints are made not only to view the vision, but also importantly to listen to what has been said. The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
The member for Midland may have her views about me, and that is fine; other people may as well. But I can tell her that in relation to this matter I will do my job properly. If the member for Midland goes to any taxi rank on a Friday or Saturday night, she will come away with the same concerns that I have; and I think they are concerns that every parent in this state would have. Surely we should have an environment—this is what we will be aiming to deliver—in which a taxi is a safe place for a person to get a lift home after a night out.
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