A New South Wales taxi company has had its operating licence suspended by the NSW Point to Point Transport Commission over safety fears.
Flying Cabs taxis has been barred from taking passengers and booking trips after concerns were raised that their fleet of taxis does not have “compliant duress alarm systems”.
Point to Point Transport commissioner Anthony Wing said the missing alarms pose a risk to both drivers and passengers, as “drivers must be able to easily notify of trouble and raise an alarm when safety is at threat”.
Under NSW regulations, all taxis in metropolitan areas “must be fitted with a complying operational duress alarm and a system to monitor and respond to the alarm system quickly if activated”.
These alarms should be reachable by both the passenger and driver, and can be used to alert authorities in the case of an emergency.
Under the ruling, the Flying Cabs company is barred from taking passengers.
They have been given 14 days to respond to the commission, making their case as to why their licence shouldn’t be permanently revoked.
Any taxi service taking passengers for a rise while suspended can be slapped with fines of over $110,000.
Flying Cabs’ suspension followed a targeted safety audit, fleet inspections and an investigation.
“There are more than 2000 taxis, rideshare and hire vehicles in NSW, and I want them and the public to know I will not hesitate to act decisively if there are safety concerns which pose a risk to drivers and passengers,” Wing said.