A disability discrimination complaint against two of NSW’s largest taxi networks goes before the Federal Court today.

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), acting on behalf of Mr Greg Killeen, claims the taxi networks and NSW Transport and Infrastructure are in breach of the national Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport.

The taxi companies named in the complaint are Combined Communications Network and the Austaxi Group. They control a large number of wheelchair accessible taxis in NSW.

According to PIAC and Mr Killeen, many taxis licensed by NSW Transport and Infrastructure as wheelchair accessible fail to comply with the Disability Standards. This makes them unsafe, uncomfortable and in some cases unusable.

‘PIAC is asking the Federal Court to stop NSW Transport and Infrastructure from issuing licenses to wheelchair accessible taxis that fail to meet the Disability Standards,’ said PIAC Solicitor Ms Gemma Namey.

‘PIAC is also asking the Federal Court to order the taxi companies named in this complaint to modify existing wheelchair accessible taxis that don’t meet the Standards.‘

The discrimination complaint comes as people with disability await a NSW Government response to the recently released Legislative Council Select Committee report on the taxi industry.

The Select Committee report recommended an audit of all wheelchair accessible taxis to identify vehicles that are non-compliant with the Disability Standards. The Committee also recommended that operators be given financial incentives to modify their vehicles. If these vehicles remain non-compliant after three years, the Committee recommended their licences be revoked.

MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic O’Grady, Media and Communications Officer,

Public Interest Advocacy Centre. Ph: 02 8898 6532 or 0400 110 169