UBER
An illustration picture shows the logo of car-sharing service app Uber on a smartphone next to the picture of an official German taxi sign in Frankfurt, September 15, 2014. A Frankfurt high court will hold a hearing on a recent lawsuit brought against Uberpop by Taxi Deutschland on Tuesday. San Francisco-based Uber, which allows users to summon taxi-like services on their smartphones, offers two main services, Uber, its classic low-cost, limousine pick-up service, and Uberpop, a newer ride-sharing service, which connects private drivers to passengers - an established practice in Germany that nonetheless operates in a legal grey area of rules governing commercial transportation. The company has faced regulatory scrutiny and court injunctions from its early days, even as it has expanded rapidly into roughly 150 cities around the world. Reuters/Kai Pfaffenbach

The West Australian government proposed legislative changes allowing Uber and Taxi drivers to get more flexible licences. In the On-demand Transport Green Paper released on Monday, the state government confirms that a more flexible licensing environment would open up the transport industry to innovate and provide new services. The proposed changes would encourage more competition and innovation. The discussion paper is open for public comments for 12 weeks until October 16.

The On-demand Transport Green Paper proposes steady regulations to govern the licensing of on-demand vehicles, like Uber, reports ZDNet. This would create a consistent environment for all providers. Transport Minister Dean Nalder emphasised on “a single piece of legislation” because currently country and city taxis, public transport vehicles and character vehicles of all shapes and sizes are regulated by differing laws and rules. He aims to deliver an equal playing field to all transport providers to ensure safe and reliable service for passengers. The paper proposes that the drivers of on-demand transport vehicles could be licensed using a framework such as the Taxi Drivers Licensing Act 2014. This would also help remove unwanted drivers from the industry. Consistent state-wide entry standards for drivers will be established.

According to news.com.au, Mr.Nalder said, “We are proposing a simplified licensing model with more flexible licence ‘types’ that focus on safety standards, rather than operating locations or times.” He also confirmed that the new licences would work along with the improved taxi plates. Mr.Nalder further explains that the increasing consumer expectation and the ever growing on-demand transport industry resulted in the overhauling of the current rules and regulations.

The paper proposes a future where customers can make their own choices on the services they use as reported by Perth Now. Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA chief executive Deidre Willmott welcomed the green paper. He further added that “safe, reliable and competitively-priced” taxi services will play a significant role in ensuring that Western Australia is one of the world’s leading places to live and do business.

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