Uber stays quiet on drivers fined for using its app

Whether or not Uber will assist any of the UberX drivers who were fined $1732 each in a recent crackdown on the ridesharing service by the Victorian government is unclear.

As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, well over 30 drivers were fined by Victoria’s Taxi Services Commission.

One driver posted a copy of the fine on a Whirlpool forum.

On the fine, the Taxi Services Commission notes that it does not consider the use of the Uber X and subsequent carriage of passengers “to be pursuant to a vehicle pooling agreement set out in section 87 of the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983.

The act requires all vehicles that operate for hire and reward must be licenced to do so.

StartupSmart asked Uber Melbourne general manger Simon Rossi whether the company could do anything to help drivers that have been fined, like reimburse them for the fines they incurred, but he did not answer the question in a response emailed late this afternoon.

“UberX is providing economic opportunity and affordable transportation in over 50 cities worldwide, including New York, San Francisco, London and Paris,’’ Rossi says.

“In Melbourne, riders and drivers are flocking to the Uber platform precisely because we are solving a problem that has stood for decades in Melbourne – the inability to get a safe, affordable, reliable ride when and where needed.

“The Victorian government has been a leader in reforming the taxi industry and welcoming new competition into the marketplace.

“We applaud the Victorian government’s efforts and appreciate their support for innovation and competition.

“In the coming weeks we look forward to continuing the ongoing conversation we’ve had with the Victorian government since late last year.”