Companies say taxi row highlights 'free for all' taxi industry

One Love festival goers experienced issues when trying to get a taxi after the event. Photo/ File

An Auckland woman's experience with a taxi driver in Tauranga has highlighted the city's transport issues when large events are held.

Jess Thompson says a taxi driver called her a b**** during a ride last Saturday, which has horrified local taxi companies who say customers need to know their rights and have a right to complain.

Over Auckland Anniversary Weekend it was noted by local taxi companies that taxis from outside of Tauranga were working in the city which was an example of the "free for all" taxi industry.

Thompson went to the One Love festival with two friends on Saturday when it took her an hour to hail a taxi.

Thompson said the driver agreed to take her less than 3 kilometres down Cameron Rd for $20. When Thompson's two friends got in, and the taxi started moving, the driver said the fare would be $45.

"He tried to use the excuse that there were three of us so the fare would be more which is pretty poor," Thompson said.

She reminded him the agreed fare was $20.

"We got into an argument and he pulled over ... he called me a b**** and told us to get out."

Thompson did not know which taxi company the driver was from.

New Zealand Taxi Federation executive director John Hart was "horrified" to hear of the incident and said there was "no excuse".

"A meter is the basis of a taxi fare and the customer has the right to ask to turn the meter on."

A Welcome Bay woman also experienced trouble getting home from One Love.

The woman, who would not be named, phoned a taxi company at 11.10pm for a ride home. After 30 minutes of waiting, she called back to follow up on the taxi and was told she would have to wait another hour.

Soon after, a taxi pulled up and told her the price would be $60 which she refused. About five minutes later another pulled up and offered a ride of $50, which she accepted.

"I was told I had to pay up front, which I did, and the meter wasn't turned on the whole time," she said.

"I didn't question it because it wasn't worth waiting around for another taxi driver to come along and offer another price. It seemed pretty dodgy but I didn't want to risk not getting a ride at all."

Tauranga Mount Taxis operations manager Jacqui Coffey said her drivers all had "strict" instructions to always use a meter. If they didn't, Coffey said the drivers were fined.

Coffey said it was a policy of the company to initiate a prepaid system during busy periods to prevent people doing runners.

She encouraged passengers to complain if they felt they had been ripped off.

Taxi Cabs Tauranga spokesman Bruce Rainey said since the changes for small passenger services came into effect last year the taxi industry had become a "free for all".

"There were a lot of taxis here on the weekend who were from Hamilton and Auckland, we saw the same problems happening over the New Year as well ... we used to have a tightly regulated market and now we don't."

Taxi Cabs Tauranga did not receive any complaints over the long weekend.

Know your rights when taking a taxi

-You never have to take the first taxi on the rank.
-A driver cannot refuse you because you only wish to travel a short distance.
-A driver cannot refuse you because you have a disability or a guide dog.
-Always take note of the driver's ID number