KEY POINTS:
Six out of 10 Auckland taxi drivers failed to return more than $40 in change to a young woman actor during a sting to test the integrity of the city's cabbies.
And in one of the more alarming findings, a cabbie who had been sacked from his job was eavesdropping on his former employer's radio telephone and picking up passengers before a legitimate driver arrived.
The hidden-camera trial was conducted by TV3's consumer watchdog programme Target, and tested some of Auckland's most well-known taxi firms.
Makers of the high-rating television show hired 10 companies to drive a "young, attractive" female actor from Great North Rd, central Auckland to Lingarth St, Remuera, an 8.9km journey which did not cost more than $26.20.
Drivers were assessed on promptness of arrival, taking the quickest route, honesty, correct display of identification, and how safe the passenger felt.
The show's producer, Simon Roy, told the Herald on Sunday those who worked on the operation were left with little confidence and respect for Auckland's crowded taxi industry.
"Disgraceful behaviour" was discovered in the honesty test, when 60 per cent of the drivers who, after being given $70 cash by the actress, did not return change after the passenger asked: "Is this enough?"
In one instance when a rogue taxi firm was contacted by Target following its investigation and asked to explain why correct change was not offered or given, it said it was "too dark" for the driver to see the money.
The programme also uncovered one driver who did not hold a current taxi licence and was picking up passengers in a taxi bearing the signage of a firm he didn't work for. Land Transport NZ and South Auckland police had launched separate inquiries into the incident, Roy said.
Only three drivers took the quickest route, and one driver read a map on his lap for the entire journey.
Target's revelations come just months after the Government said it was cracking down on the country's cowboy taxi industry. A Herald on Sunday investigation this year revealed a litany of problems, including cabbies falling asleep at the wheel and displaying inappropriate sexual behaviour.
Following Target's sting, a driver from Auckland Citicabs Combined Taxis lost his job after not handing any change back to the actress. The firm's managing director, Raj Kumar, wrote to Target saying the reason the mishap occurred was because "when [the driver] reached back for the money to count it, the passenger had left".
But Roy said the excuse was not true because the actress sat in the front passenger seat "on every trip".
Alert Taxis passed with flying colours. Co-director, Paul Cafferkey, said he "aged 10 years" when he heard his company had been implicated in the programme. "But when I found out that we passed all the tests I was ecstatic," Cafferkey said.
He was shocked by the results and said it was difficult to rid the industry of rogue drivers. "We get annoyed when we get rid of a driver for whatever reason and the next day they turn up at another company."
He said the results of Target's inquiry were not good for the taxi industry and "Land Transport NZ needs to tighten the belt".
The state of New Zealand's taxis is often sheeted back to the deregulation of the industry in 1989. Before then, the Government limited competition, with strict controls on the number of cabs on the street, according to Consumers' Institute research writer, Belinda Allan. "But today the industry is a lot more open, there are more cabs and companies on the street."
- Target, TV3, Tuesday 7.30pm
Tips for taxi users
* Always note the name of the company, the number of the taxi and the driver's ID. If you have a complaint about the service you receive, this information is important.
* If you can't see an ID card or the photo doesn't match the driver, ask to see it, or get another cab.
* Taxi meters allow cabbies to add extra fees to the journey. If you don't know why you are being asked to pay extra, ask the cabbie. They must be able to explain what you're paying for.
* If you have a complaint go to the taxi company directly. All complaints must be recorded in a complaints register. If the matter is serious or concerns criminal activity, contact the police or Land Transport New Zealand.
* Settle on a couple of companies that charge reasonable rates and provide a good level of service. Try to use them as much as possible.
- Source: Consumers' Institute
