OUR VISION
TAXIS is a taxi driver initiative, and a vision that a better service for taxi passengers is a better system for taxi drivers. It will change the industry.
We aim to see www.taxis.net.au as the way in which passengers across Australia will call for, hail, and securely pay the fare for their taxis. We aim to see that taxi drivers across Australia will use www.taxis.net.au as the way to plan their day, get more work , improve their incomes and develop a greater self-respect, and all in a safer work environment.
It's very ambitious. The dominant monopolistic player in the Australian Taxi Industry controls the payment system, dominates the taxi networks, influences Governmental involvement, and rules the drivers by division.
There are about 60,000 drivers and 20,000 taxis. Currently they use an eftpos system which charges half passengers up to 11% extra on their fares, and work with a despatch system which runs them vacant half the time. In Sydney, over 3 million passenger bookings are 'lost' in the booking system, out of 14 million attempted calls. One in six cabs never turn up, and one in five passengers are not there when the cab comes.
It won't be easy. Taxi drivers are a very diverse bunch. They are not yet a community, but they have a common interest. A better life for themselves and their families and a better income.
Same as everybody else.
The average $12 an hour on a twelve hour day is not good. And the only way up is to work more productively. That is what TAXIS aims to provide. For every extra job in a shift, the hourly rate goes up by $2. The answer is not to increase fares, but to make it easier to get extra fares ; and that means the TAXIS system change.
In creating this unique system we have catered for all aspects of the taxi business. It's a system which covers passengers, drivers and taxi operators. It provides a secure payment service in the face of over $350,000 worth of fraud a month. It provides information and accountability all participants. It's quick, cheap and it works. It will take a while to get widespread acceptance from both passengers and drivers ; but as both realize savings and extra income - it will fly. Please give a bit of time to come up to light speed.
Registration does take a bit of your time, but it's a once off exercise, and all the details are relevant to making the system work more effectively. We are starting out in Sydney, and drivers in any other city or area can make TAXIS work for themselves and for their passengers by calling Michael Jools on 0419 272 744
Taxis is all about giving you a better service.