This week the Tasmanian Government will introduce Legislation to open Tasmania to new opportunities associated with the sharing economy.
As a Government, we are open to new ideas and open to change; to manage the challenges it presents but seize the opportunities too.
Following extensive consultation with all stakeholders, we will introduce Legislation on Tuesday that will provide for the legal operation of ride-sourcing businesses in Tasmania, such as Uber.
The Taxi and Hire Vehicle Industries and Amendment Bill 2016 will amend the Taxi and Hire Vehicle Industries Act 2008.
In practical terms the amendment, and the processes to follow, will allow a person to operate a vehicle as a ride-sourcing service, subject to similar rules that currently apply to a luxury hire-car licence.
These requirements are important for protecting public safety and include medical, police and Working with Children checks and vehicles being subject to an initial and subsequent annual inspections and MAIB cover.
The Bill also recognises the possibility of a temporary impact on the existing industry from ride-sourcing activities and provides for the Minister to suspend the annual mandatory release of taxi licences for two years.
Following the passage of this Bill, we will commence a comprehensive review of the three current Acts that govern the operation of all taxis, hire cars and ride-sourcing activities, to ensure we have a robust and innovative market in this industry.
The review will engage existing service providers and consumers while also looking to similar review processes in other jurisdictions.
The sharing economy offers greater competition, more choice, efficiency and lower transaction costs for consumers.
It is the Government’s role to provide a regulatory framework that is fair and that provides necessary protections. But it is not our role to try to ban progress.
The Government will have more to say about the sharing economy as it relates to accommodation in coming weeks.