Category Archives: Transport

Fantastic news about Uber legalisation – now Government needs to resist calls for compensation of taxi industry

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Gene Tunny

It is fantastic news that the Queensland Government will, finally, legalise Uber, as reported in both the Courier-Mail and Brisbane Times this morning, although the option the Government apparently prefers is somewhat less than full deregulation, as taxis will continue … Continue reading →

Posted in Transport, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Recommended reading: Matchmakers

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Gene Tunny

It was reported in yesterday’s Sunday-Mail (24 July, p. 21) that “Baby boomers are increasingly turning to Uber, Airbnb and eBay to boost their retirement income because of stockmarket falls and minuscule bank interest rates.” That is, they are participating … Continue reading →

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XRR business case should be released in full to give public comfort it is value for money

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Gene Tunny

Yesterday, the Queensland Government sent the Federal Government the business case for the $5 billion Cross River Rail (XRR) project, but alas it has only provided the public with an inadequate, opaque four-page (not counting the cover page) summary of … Continue reading →

Posted in Transport, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Cost of bad regulation increased by excessive enforcement against Uber drivers & riders

Posted on June 12, 2016 by Gene Tunny

When the Queensland Government announced its personalised transport review, I hoped that Transport and Main Roads (TMR) would turn a blind eye to Uber. It seemed obvious the Government would eventually legalise Uber, so why continue to deny consumers and … Continue reading →

Posted in Transport, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Good start for Public Transport Review Committee: scrapping free Go Card trips

Posted on June 7, 2016 by Gene Tunny

I was pleased to read that Queensland’s Public Transport Review Committee has recommended scrapping free Go Card trips that commuters have been getting after nine trips, and that this recommendation will be adopted in the upcoming State Budget, saving the … Continue reading →

Posted in Transport, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Guest post by Rod Bogaards: Opportunity lost for Personalised Transport Review

Posted on May 22, 2016 by Gene Tunny

The long-awaited Green Paper for the Personalised Transport Review (aka the Uber Review) has been released. The trouble is, as highlighted by Gene Tunny in a previous post, the Green Paper provides almost no analysis to objectively assess the most … Continue reading →

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Uber/Taxi Green Paper not too bad, but needs more economic analysis and evidence

Posted on May 21, 2016 by Gene Tunny

In the Green Paper on Queensland’s Personalised Transport Industry released by the Queensland Government yesterday, I was hoping to see a cost-benefit analysis of the different reform options, an analysis which would reveal the large benefits to consumers coming from … Continue reading →

Posted in Transport, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Fast-tracking of Uber review is great news – Gov’t has adopted one of my Jobs Growth Summit recommendations

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Gene Tunny

I am very pleased the Queensland Government has brought forward the reporting date of its review into taxi and ride-sharing services, as announced by the Premier yesterday (see Brisbane Times coverage). This followed my call for a fast-tracked review in … Continue reading →

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On Cross River Rail, Government appears confused over meaning of “business case”

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Gene Tunny

In today’s media release on the Brisbane Cross River Rail project, The Queensland Government appears confused about the meaning of the term “business case.” It risks committing the same error that governments (present and past) across Australia have committed when … Continue reading →

Posted in Transport, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Should Qld taxi plate owners be compensated for the recent disruption to the taxi industry?

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Gene Tunny

Guest post by Rod Bogaards* Recent announcements by the NSW and WA Governments to legalise ride sharing service UberX have also included proposals for ‘adjustment assistance’ for taxi plate owners. Taxi plate owners are understandably concerned over the loss of … Continue reading →

Posted in Transport, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments