WA: WA seeks to attract interstate taxi drivers

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2008
WA: WA seeks to attract interstate taxi drivers

PERTH, April 7 AAP - Western Australia will advertise in Victoria and other states
to attract hundreds of taxi drivers to Perth.

About 300 Perth taxi drivers went on strike in February to protest another of the state
government's measures to increase the number of taxis in the city.

The taxi drivers opposed the introduction of peak period cab licences between 5am and
9am, Monday to Friday, which they said took valuable work away from them and forced some
out of the business.

WA Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan today announced the government
would pay all the training and application costs for up to 200 experienced interstate
taxi drivers to enter the Perth taxi industry.

There would also be a 100 per cent training subsidy for 200 WA students to become taxi drivers.

Ms MacTiernan said the initiatives had been developed in consultation with the Taxi
Council of WA and the Taxi Industry Forum of WA, which had called February's strike.

"An advertising campaign will shortly commence in the eastern states, initially in
Victoria, to encourage experienced taxi drivers to make the move to WA," Ms MacTiernan
said.

The Taxi Council of WA and the Taxi Industry Forum of WA were being sought for comment.

AAP np/af/de

KEYWORD: TAXIS WA

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