The laws governing ride sharing don't currently exist, existing laws are being used to stop these high quality, lower cost services from operating and are directly detrimental to consumers of motor vehicle transport services. This petition will be presented to government ministers to request a change of laws so that ride sharing services can operate in NSW. The specific law change requested in this petition is that personal use vehicles be allowed to operate as ride sharing vehicles if they are protected under a commercial grade insurance policy - like the policy protecting Uber drivers and passengers. Despite the higher level of insurance cover NSW police and Roads and Maratime Services officers are currently using private use laws to fine ride sharing drivers and suspend their vehicle registration. This practice is protecting the low quality incumbency of the taxi industry, stifling innovation and resulting in a net detriment to consumers of motor vehicle transport services in NSW - and this should stop.

Positions I and people I know have been in using cabs that I have never had to deal with using Uber -

- The booked taxi didn't turn up.

- The taxi turned up so late I missed flights (and was anxious about missing a flight because there was no way to know when it was turning up).

- Someone has thrown up or urinated in a taxi and the driver hasn't cleaned it up before picking me up.

- Taxis drive around with their lights off at times when they have no passengers so that they can select their passengers.

- Dirty, old vehicles that shake and rattle.

- Drivers that insist on pumping the accelerator on and off because they think it increases the fare when what it actually does is make passengers ill.

- Drivers taking absurdly long routes.

- Drivers falling asleep.

The taxi industry has for years provided a service that is unreliable and of low quality. The laws governing the taxi industry protect them from competitors and place them in a position where they don't have to action customer feedback or improve the service and are unable to charge more for a premium experience or innovate their cost structure. These laws were once necessary to ensure safety but are now stifling innovation and have removed both the motivation and the ability for the taxi industry to innovate and change its service quality. Vendors like Uber are able to offer a more reliable, higher quality, lower cost service and the taxi lobby is doing everything it can now to prevent ride sharing services like Uber operating. This is of net detriment to consumers and ultimately detrimental to the taxi industry as it will stay a service that is used under sufferance rather than because it is a reliable, high quality experience. The laws need to change and I believe that a large petition delivered to the right people can demonstrate support for making this change and make it happen quickly.