THE state government has revealed it is in negotiations with Tasmania’s peak taxi body over the introduction of prepaid cab fares.
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The potential move follows a recommendation from coroner Olivia McTaggart last year, after a coronial inquest into the death of Hobart teenager Jayden Field.
Mr Field died when he fell from a maxi taxi at Kingston in November 2013.
The 19-year-old jumped out of a moving cab, fell and hit his head on the road.
In her findings, Ms McTaggart declared Mr Field and his friends were likely trying to evade a taxi fare when the incident occurred, and similar situations could be avoided if customers were required to pay for their taxi before the journey.
Last week, police charged a 20-year-old Ravenswood man and an 18-year-old Summerhill man after the alleged armed robbery of a Launceston taxi driver.
Australian taxi union president Michael Jools said on Saturday that taxi fare evasions and driver assaults could be avoided if Tasmania were to introduce prepaid fares.
On Monday, Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding’s spokesman said the idea had been discussed.
‘‘The minister is in ongoing discussions with the taxi industry regarding the current regulatory settings,’’ he said.
‘‘The idea of prepaid fares is on the table for discussion and the government is not ruling out introducing them in consultation with the Taxi Industry Council.’’
Prepaid taxi fares between the hours of 10pm and 5am were introduced in parts of Victoria in 2008, in a bid to stop fare evaders.
In her findings, Ms McTaggart noted the concept had resulted in less taxi-related crime and taxi drivers feeling safer at work.
NSW was the latest state to follow suit with the introduction of prepaid fares in December 2015.