‘Absolutely vile’: Allan says taxi industry needs to clean up its act

Allan said the accreditation process for taxi drivers had already been strengthened, “but it’s clear that there is more to do”.

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“The Department of Transport and Planning is undertaking a review looking at how we can strengthen the procurement practices, strengthen the accreditation practices, and also using technology as well. This is disgusting behaviour. It disgusts me to my core because people with a disability deserve better than this, and that is why this review is being undertaken.”

Opposition Leader Brad Battin said Victorians should feel safe in taxis and be free from fear they could be ripped off.

“We need to have the laws there to ensure we can protect that community,” Battin said.

“Now, if the laws aren’t adequate, and we need more action on that, we’d be willing to look at that and find out what is the best course of action to make sure that there is a strong message to people who are driving commercial vehicles in Victoria that you cannot rip off people in this state. You can’t steal from them, and you can’t, as we’ve seen in some of the videos, abuse them in your vehicle.”

In December, Singh pleaded guilty to 499 charges, including dozens of fraud and overcharging offences, along with seven counts of assaulting his disabled passengers.

He was also convicted of cramming his taxi with up to four passengers in wheelchairs instead of the legal limit of two, blowing a blood alcohol concentration of 0.191 and failing to safely secure his passengers’ chairs while the taxi was moving.

The 57-year-old was convicted and fined $20,000 and sentenced to a two-year community corrections order.

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