Avoid mini van taxis at Melbourne, I got scammed twice in a row

Lisidore12 on 22/10/2013 - 11:44

Hi all

It may be not the right place, but I am pretty upset against taxis in Melbourne using mini vans.

I went for a week-end in Melbourne with my 18 months old daughter. The taxi driver charged us a tariff 3 (5 passenger or more) from the airport. It should have been tariff 1. I believe only mini van taxis can apply a tariff 3.

On the way back, we had an other taxi, a mini van again. On the taximeter, there was a tariff 3 and already few dollars. Then he changed for a tariff 1 few seconds after when we left for the airport.

The lesson is that if you take a taxi and it is mini van, they will charge you discretely a tariff3. It seems to be a common practice. So I suggest you always take a normal taxi.

Cheers

Isidore

Travel

Comments

  • eggnbacon on 22/10/2013 - 11:55

    To my knowledge minivan taxis always charge a premium, full or otherwise.

  • hellbound on 22/10/2013 - 12:23

    Mini van's are required to charge tariff 1 rates unless
    "Taxis carrying 5-11 passengers, or non-wheelchair hiring where the hirer specifically requests a larger than standard taxi regardless of the number of passengers carried"
    in which case tariff 3 applies.
    http://www.taxi.vic.gov.au/passengers/taxi-passengers/taxi-f…

    The driver should not have charged you extra unless you met the above conditions.
    Taxi drivers being who they are though, I'm not surprised they'd stick it on Tariff 3 unless you called them on it.

    If you recorded the drivers details you can lodge a complaint here
    http://www.taxi.vic.gov.au/about-us/feedback-form
    Not sure if anything will happen out of it though.

    • bigheadache on 22/10/2013 - 12:49
      +2

      I've lodged 2 complaints with the VTD before. Be prepared for them to do absolutely F All. In my case, I was riding normal taxis, and they were using the overnight tariff (tariff 2). They were picking me up at 515am to go to the airport, so being after 5am they should have been using the normal tariff.

    • eggnbacon on 22/10/2013 - 14:29

      I don't quite read it that way.

      "Taxis carrying 5-11 passengers […] where the hirer specifically requests a larger than standard taxi regardless of the number of passengers carried"

      According to that if you request a larger than standard taxi (a minivan/maxi) then you'll be charged tariff 3. And if by request they include flagging down a maxi then you'd be out of luck.

      • bigheadache on 22/10/2013 - 17:15

        The OP is getting on the taxi from the airport… which means at the rank, which means you can be randomly assigned a maxi, even if you didn't ask for one, if there are no large groups or disable passengers waiting for a maxi. I've had quite a few solo rides on maxis, usually if I come home from Sydney mid-week.

  • lisss on 22/10/2013 - 13:46

    The best thing you can do is educate yourself on what tariff should be used, and insist that the driver use the correct one at the beginning of the trip. Most taxi drivers I have encountered are dodgy, they are doing the honest ones a huge disservice.

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