Taxi drivers are waging a campaign for compensation over the introduction of the competitive Uber service. Ross Greenwood has has a bit to say about this on Macquarie radio. Taxi drivers have step and association and a website to make their case.
If the federal government provides any form of compensation for the introduction of Uber, newsagents ought to urgently make representations for the situation of taxi drivers today is the same as newsagents faced in 1999 with the federal government facilitated removal of our monopoly.
Prior to 1999, newsagents had a ACCC authorised government facilitated monopoly for the distribution of newspapers and magazines. Many purchased their businesses with the knowledge of the monopoly. banks funded the purchases with the knowledge. Immediately the monopoly was removed newsagencies were worth less, goodwill dropped.
Newsagents received no compensation. Some newsagents at the time claimed this wad due to poor representation as it was not long after the federal government paid pharmacists to close to reduce oversupply.
My question today is – what do newsagents think about the claim by taxi drivers they deserve compensation for the watering-down of the protection they have had?
Absolutely not.
Seems to recall the TV stations were compensated – was it $250 million?
No, that was to fund the cost of digital infrastructure. Compensation by both sides of politics since is for political reasons.
No compensation.
maybe Coles and Woolies could run their own Cab companies
I did read somewhere this week that the govt. is considering removing restrictions on when and where pharmacies can operate. it was stated in the article that a large amount of money would have to be set aside to compensate existing pharmacies. Nothing to do with Taxis but relevant to the issue of compensation. Some industries get it, some dont.