After busy weekends, Green Cabs’ Graham Hadley says he fields endless complaints from independent cabbies’ customers "being overcharged, who have had a verbally-abusive driver and who’ve lost property and can’t identify the vehicle".
"The overall image it gives to the town is extremely negative, the really difficult thing is everyone’s getting tarred with the same brush."
Queenstown Taxis’ Grant Scannell, who’s annoyed three or four independents even use blue top lights to simulate his own company’s, says "some of those guys will think of any way possible to pick up fares".
"I’ve even seen receipts from some of those that have ‘Queenstown Taxis’, one uses "GS Queenstown Taxis’, my initials."
It seems few locals haven’t heard horrific tales of people being overcharged by what some call "scab cabs".
As a result, unlike unknowing visitors, many locals deliberately avoid being taken for a ride by independents.
"We’re not even getting to the stands on busy nights, they’re just literally clogged up [with independent cabs]," Scannell says.
It’s so bad he even advises his drivers to sit in the middle of the street to pick up hails.
"What are we supposed to do?"
He estimates competition from independent cabbies is reducing his drivers’ income 50 to 60%.
Closer monitoring of ‘scab cabs’ required
Hadley says: "There’s such a flood of independent taxis on the stands with [council] permits, that have got themselves organised into groups, pretty much by nationality, it’s very intimidating for the recognised companies."
Corporate Cabs’ Ian Paterson adds: "We’ve had a bit of a surge in locals calling us in the evenings now, I wonder if it’s because of the issues being brought out."
Paterson claims many Uber operators who would not be allowed on the stands are also independent cabbies with council permits to use the stands, "so they’re double-whamming it".
Local independent cabbie Danny Flynn, one of those Scannell says is doing it "properly", says: "I would say a lot of us are just hard-working lads, and they are good people.
"But there’s definitely the bad eggs down there."
As to sorting out the issue, Hadley’s adamant the council needs to monitor the cabbies it issues permits to — currently, of 138 active permits, Queenstown Taxis holds 51, Green Cabs 19, Corporate Cabs 10, and independents the other 58.
Specifically, Hadley says it should ensure they all have the appropriate licences and operational security cameras, as required by law.
"I know of drivers who will take a picture of their mate’s camera and send it in with an application for their own vehicle."
NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) also needs to step up, he says — it’s responsible for passenger endorsements and logbooks.
Company bosses say they can track all their cabbies’ trips by GPS, monitor their licences, ensure cameras are in working order and they all have complaints procedures in place.
On over-charging, however, Scannell’s not sure independent cabbies are necessarily breaking the law, as since delicensing in 2017, a driver and passenger can negotiate a fare.
"A driver says ‘$50 to Fernhill’ and the customer says ‘whatever’, but when they get there he says, ‘I’m not paying that’."
Scannell credits the council for its permit system and says "they’re doing their best".
Flynn’s adamant the problem’s a national one — "it can’t be fixed by complaints to the council or NZTA, it’s the legislation".
He’s hopeful, however, the situation will improve when council reviews the permit system next week.
Council PR man Sam White says they take concerns over rip-off pricing and other issues "very seriously".
"We are meeting next week with operators (including independent driver representatives), Waka Kotahi NZTA and police to discuss the current system ahead of any potential renewal of the application process."
Meanwhile, NZ Taxi Federation boss John Hart says Queenstown’s issues are "happening all around the country".
"There are just hordes of cowboys coming out and they’re just ripping people off something awful, the stories I get, I think, are verging on criminal behaviour."
His federation’s been lobbying the government to review the 2017 legislation, but still to no avail, he says.
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Hate to say it .... but I think Queenstown's reputation for ripping people off started long before a couple of taxis appeared and overcharged customers.
I do realise it's been hard times for the tourist based industry in the resort, but pre-covid, the average NZ family just couldn't afford to spend a few weeks there and do all, or even some, or even none, of the great activities available.
Queenstown did make an effort to drop prices and attract local tourism which did help matters, but unfortunately, even at reduced prices, Queenstown is just too expensive for the majority of families in NZ to enjoy.
Taxi drivers ripping their Queenstown customers was well in effect before any of these independents were on the seen, had a driver call police on myself and friend after he had ‘accidentally’ turned off the meter, i told him id pay what was on the meter not the extra $50 he was asking, which would have gone in his pocket. Police weren’t happy after the law was explained to them, seemed they were familiar with the ruse.