Taxi fringe dwellers

YARRA Ranges residents are missing out on vital health services and employment opportunities under the current taxi service.
The Yarra Ranges Council has put a submission into the Victorian Taxi Industry Inquiry focusing on the danger of the Metropolitan Taxi Zone boundary.
The submission outlined how the boundary meant Yarra Ranges residents had limited access to key services including health, employment, transport, shopping and entertainment.
Councillor and Eastern Transport Coalition chairperson Samantha Dunn said with poor public transport in the region, many people relied on taxis.
“While many people live in the Country Taxi Zone, they require services located in the metropolitan zone,” she said.
“While taxis operating on either side of the boundary are able to take fare paying passengers to the other zone, they are unable to pick up passengers on the return trip.
“This often results in passengers being refused travel in both directions.”
Cr Dunn said tourism operators also suffered, with visitors reliant on private transport or taxis to access their locations.
The ETC and Yarra Ranges Council is calling on the inquiry to include a review of the location and operation of the Metropolitan Taxi Zone boundary.
“With the growth of metropolitan Melbourne, the Metropolitan Taxi Zone boundary no longer adequately represents metropolitan Melbourne and is significantly impacting upon taxi service provision outside this boundary,” she said.
The 12-month comprehensive review led by the Taxi Industry Inquiry was announced on 28 March by Premier Ted Baillieu.