WHAT CERTIFICATE TO GET ME FURTHER?

Written 15/03/2017
What certificate would increase job prospects?
Forget certificate IV in OHS.
A certificate IV in assessment and Training is so much better.
Here's why.
Occupational health and Safety reforms swept through industries in Australia in the 2000's with large manufacturing and construction having always practiced tight OHS other industry including medium to smaller firms started to catch up. The main reason for this was the fines, penalty points and reputation that corporations were being given when things went wrong during their process to run their business. Often work places were cutting corners to shorten process delivery times and that's when things can go wrong. The changes took place when workplaces were  accepting that some procedures in the workplace were too dangerous to not having to implement a safe working environment. This is when the management of hazards and risks became a high priority. This was probably around the late nineties and early 2000's but many industries where still adapting to change as far as 2006 and 2007. There are still some firms that are lagging behind even in 2017. During this time to about 2008 a certificate IV in OHS that would cost up to around $2,400 and a fair bit of time and dedication to finish may have snagged the graduate with a safety position as a safety officer or assistant to a safety manager. Many times this qualification could be an additional role to the staff members main role.
These days however employers will ask for 2-5 years experience on top of a tertiary OHS qualification. It seems now the OHS certificate IV qualification could be a poor investment.

The certificate IV in Training and Assessment for a few years now has been the better choice for a way to gain a qualification that will pay itself off quickly and advance your job/career aspects. The price for a certificate IV in training and Assessment is a lot cheaper than the OHS qualification by a substantial amount by upwards to $1200. Not only that, it is a quicker to complete the training course and is usually now held in class rooms where the OHS course is many modules that are individually worked on by the student mostly from an online institute.
Other advantages of the Training and Assessment Cert IV are the adaptability of using the qualification towards any skill, hobby or interest you may want to introduce to others. For example if you are a passionate photographer you may use the certificate as a credential towards teaching others.
In the workplace one may use this recognised industry certificate to train others to acquire some of the experience of your  skill set that you may have learnt from your many years of employment at a facility or location. This training position aspect to your job description could add more importance and stability to one's job position or even a raise or pay incentive.

Wasted Infrastructure in Paradise

                                 The dormant Casino to Murwillumbah Rail Link
                                
 The old timers invested heavily in rail. Memories of the people and freight moving constantly between states and through towns by rail are still held sentimentally in the minds and hearts of many Australians. Today rail is still used extensively but many rail links are now not in use as the cost of running and maintaining isn't very economical compared to moving freight by road. Road freight using large b-double trucks or single trailer trucks is more favoured instead of rail transport.  Although rail freight is still important to keep supplies of many goods between cities for distribution throughout regional Australia.

                      Railway Station at Murwillumbah stands strong but remains unused
                                  
                                      Proposals that fell through for the rail link
Since services were suspended in 2004 many people throughout the region want the trains back that linked towns such as Casino, Lismore, Ballina, Lismore, Byron Bay and Murwillumbah. The hope that rail will service the area once again and link up to the Gold Coast and onto Brisbane is favourable within the Northern Rivers community. 
                                                             Rail Trail Fail
A proposal to turn some of the link to a rail trail in the hope that it would stimulate tourism with visitors walking and cycling along the stretches couldn't receive the vital funding and lost support of council.

                                                   Miles of rail lays across the region 
                                                               Alternative Solution 
Billions of dollars and mass amounts of time are currently going into driverless car technologies. Four universities in Australia alone are developing the technology not to mention all the other universities throughout the world working on the development of driverless technology. Volvo, Google and many other large organisations are trying to speed the progress of this technology. Driverless trains are now becoming a reality in Europe.

https://www.facebook.com/MechanicsAndEngineering/videos/1865236933760921/

The Tweed, Byron and Ballina shires should be approaching these organisations to test and use driverless trams along these unused corridors. Driverless trams/buses could be a viable passenger transport system or it may be just a novelty tourist attraction that only uses part of the existing disused rail system. Driverless trams/buses have wheels and will not need rail and electric lines to run and instead run on wheels on a level paved track. This would save millions on infrastructure costs and ongoing maintenance costs of this utility.
Funding doesn't need to be sought from the government as much if the large organisations that back the research take to funding a driverless tram project through the historic Northern Rivers Rail link. The attraction for these organisations is to be seen as the innovators of this type of transport being prototyped through one of the countries most beautiful tourist destinations. Images of driverless tram-bus type capsule transport travelling throughout the rail link would be good exposure for both the concept developer and the region, attracting visitors. Visitors love to ride through remote areas on novel transport. Councils should begin to contact these organisations to grow interest into this type of technology to be used in this way along the Casino-Murwillumbah link. Even bringing some representatives out for a look or at least sending images with a report may stimulate further interest to get the link working again as a commercial/tourist or research project. As organisations such as Google and Volvo and the many universities working to driverless technology into the present day, this may be an opportunity for the region to benefit from this currently unused asset.
These images below were taken recently on the Coromandel Peninsula region of New Zealand were hundreds of tourists board this small tram (for $35) that runs a small distance into the forest showing were the potter used to retrieve his clay from to do his pottery. This location is actually a pottery themed successful tourist destination.   

                               Visitors love to ride through remote areas on novel transport

The changing scene of Australian Pubs throughout regional areas

                                                
                                     The changing scene of Australian Pubs 


                                                  CHANGING TIMES
Australian pubs in regional towns were once operating with high patronage of local drinkers often stopping in on most afternoons after working a hard shift.  Going home often tipsy to their wives and children drink driving regulations were still lame back in the 1970s. My father was one of the many that had a favourite local bar, drinking 5 or 6 pots (or more) after work before getting back in his car to venture back home often half tanked.
                                             DRINK DRIVING ENFORCEMENT
When high numbers of car accidents and many deaths from traffic incidents were found to be alcohol related the time for enforcement of drink driving laws came into place and the testing of drivers for alcohol in their systems was in full swing by the mid 1980's. This meant that the majority of drivers tested with above .05 alcohol blood levels were breaking the law and would be issued with fines and suspended licenses. This is one issue why large numbers of workers don't visit bars after work as they had done up until the 1980s. The other reasons can be put down to an increasing awareness of health related issues, men encouraged and expected to spend more time with their families and tighter economic times. As well as having to pay for expensive over the bar drinks compared to buying takeaway alcohol and drinking at home some workers just prefer to go to the gym or go training. Another factor is the rise of the caf'e/coffee culture.

                     Central location of Court House Hotel gives it constant passing trade   
                                          WHAT THE PUBS ARE DOING
The pubs that are longer open for business as they once were in there heyday of the pre 1980's are now being turned into apartments or divided into sections for retail stores and cafe's.
The town of Murwillumbah in Far Northern N.S.W  is a typical regional average size country town with a history of cane farms, timber production, fishing, banana and cattle farming as well as supportive industries that employed healthy numbers of thirsty workers. It seems that many hotels held there original business model except for the introduction of pokey machines right up until recent times. In 2006 Murwillumbah had six hotels/pubs, a bowling club and an R.S.L. In 2017 Murwillumbah has 2 pubs still keeping their original business model, the R.S.L still in operation and one pub is open as a bottle shop, recently trying to pass a proposal to turn the space into a fuel service station.

                                         Spaces available at the recently sold Imperial

                                          Retail clothes space at the Murwillumbah Hotel

                             Once popular Round House Tavern now trading only as a bottle shop

                                                Plenty of space for lease at the Imperial
Look to many other towns in Australia and see that Murwillumbah is not a solitary example. Bendigo, Kalgoorlie and many other towns have had pubs change the way they do business or turn into another establishment form altogether. Regional areas are not the only examples though with many suburban and inner city hotels also having to change their traditional business model as the demand for after work water holes is a trend of the distant past.

The River View is still able to trade as a normal pub  and has invested in dining area renovations and other upgrades. The location of the hotel (1st pub as you enter town) and views of the river make this hotel popular.

                               Indian restaurant occupies large space of Murwillumbah Hotel

                                                    COFFEE-CAFE CULTURE

It is interesting on the emergence of cafes has increased throughout Australia. Taking Murwillumbah again as an example which has at least ten cafes in the central town area as well as one in the R.S.L. Again this is a reoccurring pattern throughout every town around Australia where cafes grow in popularity and pubs close or change their business model.

                               JuJus café occupies a space at the former Murwillumbah Hotel.
                                               ACCOMODATION CENTRES
Old hotels or pubs can sometimes have many room spaces usually on the second level overlooking the street of a town. Many pubs have utilised this resource as  affordable accommodation  for backpackers and tourists. Murwillumbah Hotel in the main street of town have refurbished their retro rooms for rent and have begun renting out the rooms as a attractive option for a comfortable stay in the central part of town.

                                            

The Australian Greyhound Racing Industry is cleaning up fast.

                              THE WORLD HAS ANIMALS THAT RACE GET OVER IT.
In a perfect world there would be no animal racing, this just my opinion.  This means thoroughbred racing, trots and greyhounds. All forms of racing are hard on the animals. This can be easier on the animals depending on the professionalism of the trainers and management behind the animals training and race schedules, management of injuries including management of the animal's mental/ psychological state. To have one code of racing in Australia totally banned because of a contraversy  is a joke. Horse racing being glamorous  appealing to fashion and high end society. Thoroughbred racing is still popular in Australia despite the critics. The fact is that horses and jockeys get hurt and sometimes die, horses still get doped, and race fixing can still happen means that the most popular form of racing is also with problems that need constant management and stewarding. So to review and do an royal commission then make an decision to close the least favourite of the racing industry down in just knee jerkingly stupid. I believe this because I firmly believe that the Australian Greyhound Industry can be improved and improved fast. Through educating trainers and owners and imposing tougher penalties as well as improving racing conditions, this industry can be easily cleaned up. The vets, meat industry, callers, camera operators, track and kennel staff, maintenance crews, TAB staff, bookies, caterers and gate staff and many others around the many tracks around Australia can still benefit from top up income from part time and sometimes full time positions. This is especially important in regional areas that economically benefit from greyhound racing.

                               MEDIA SCRUTINY ISN'T HAVING AN EFFECT ANY MORE
Date back to The Project 2014, a current affairs type television program with popular and emerging  media personalities. Another serious incident in a horse race that is run with the use of jumps is spoken about by the crew. The jumps industry is under speculation for cruelty because it is even more dangerous than standard racing not only to the horses but also the jockeys. Waleed Aly and other crew members that night are ready to focus some serious criticism on this racing practice, but 'no' there is a panellist (Gorgi Coglan) that knows people in this industry who breed and train jumps horses and she comes out in their defence softening any argument and the issue drifts away like a butterfly finding a window to freedom.
2016 the greyhound industry is under fire and Waleed and his mates fire a tirade of criticism based on an enquiry of allegations of live baiting and animal cruelty including the mass culling of greyhounds. Waleed interviews a trainer from Sydney who is just trying to say that the sport is being cleaned up and needs another chance as there are good people involved in it. Waleed and his panellist crush his argument with scathing attitudes and one sided commentary. This is just after the N.S.W Premier Mike Baird has announced to back down on the shutting down of the greyhound industry in N.S.W, disappointing the panel. Part time panellist and conservative radio talk host Steve Price then has another dig at the industry mouthing off that it is only a small number of people employed in the greyhound racing industry and it is outright cruel. This city slicker  has never lived in regional Australia where people have to do several jobs to survive. Racing a couple of dogs has always been a great way to keep fit, be social and earn a bit of  lucky prize money particularly for people living in regional areas. The problem I personally have with Steve Price's comments is that they are not researched, have no credibility and appeal to a popular demographic segment that love to go through life in ignorant bliss just mouthing off uneducated hypothetical statements that they can't back up with facts.
             THE BAD STUFF REALLY HAPPENED BUT THE INDUSTRY HAS RESPONDED
The reality of greyhound racing is that there has always been live baiting and culling of greyhounds that are too slow. The industry has been quick to respond though, putting life bans on trainers and delivering tougher penalties. The exposure of the industries dirty past and practices has shifted the focus on the welfare of the animal and the Greyhound Breeders, Owners and Trainers Association have focused part of their mission to the practice of giving racing dogs full life cycles. Trainers would be crazy to even think about live baiting practices and this is out, long gone. Dog adoption from racing dog to pets is another propriety of the GBOTA and this is a  challenge as the dogs are large and take time to train from life as a sports dog to a normal pet. This also puts the breed as a competitive option against other breeds of dogs to adopt as pets. It has actually turned out to be a positive for the industry when the industry came into full public scrutiny exposed by the sneaky cameraman in the long grass.
                                    
 WHY IT WAS REALLY SAVED

                        
It is a fact that the saviour to greyhound racing in Australia is the gambling industry. Online gambling in particular makes gambling on the greyhounds an interesting and easy option. This powerful industry has many stakeholders that can influence political decisions. This is some of the heavy pressure that persuaded  Mike Baird to reverse his decision and this  power was underestimated by the Baird State Government. That is how things are today and have always been. Power and wealth will determine who's in power and what industries continue even after their lifecycle appears to be facing an end. Just look at fossil fuels. People power does come into it but takes great numbers, sacrifice and action for an overwhelming reaction to occur for any change. Mike Baird was thinking that the people would be behind the closure of the industry but he must've forgot that we all don't live in the city where it is easy to criticise the real world, the real country where animals are actually slaughtered for food, bred for food and materials, bred to race, race for money.
                                     GREYHOUND OWNERS LOVE THEIR DOGS
Just like any other dog owners there are those that really look after their dogs and those that don't do as much as they should. The amount of domestic dog owners that don't walk their dogs or take them to the park or beach and just leave them on a chain or in an enclosed area to be fed once a day and ignored is in high numbers. This leads to barking, escaping and at times dog attacks as bored energetic dogs are frustrated by the lack of proper attention from disinterested preoccupied owners.
I know of greyhound people that have spent thousands on sick dogs, whether it was a  retired or  racing dog, this wasn't an issue. These particular trainers are more concerned about their animal's welfare than even the scrutineers of their industry. Many trainers are completely shy of media but if the media dug deep and talked to the right people they would soon realise that there are many positives about the industry.

https://www.facebook.com/NGRU2015/photos/a.1532916187034963.1073741828.1532108767115705/1780924822234097/?type=3&theater
                                      GREYHOUNDS LOVE TO RUN
I have worked in this industry on two tracks for some time and can tell you that most dogs love to run and run hard. Once they are trained, dogs are enthusiastic about going out to start another race. This isn't because they want to kill something, it is because that want to run hard and chase around an open track after a moving object. This is a sport, a sport where people gamble upon, and if gambling remains then the dogs are staying around.

AUSTRALIAN METAL RECYCLING CURRENT WASTE PROCEDURES AND FUTURE OPTIONS

A Brief Look at Metal Recyclings Current Waste Management and its Future Options

Written by Dean Price, 14th October 2016.
The Present Waste Strategy of Larger Metal Recycling Companies
For the larger companies in the Australian metal recycle industry, contaminated metals from scrap intakes are processed through a high compression process that shreds both ferrous and non-ferrous metals. This process leaves large amounts of 'floc' or off-waste, a 'gravel like' incinerated bottom ash (IBA) generated from the large amounts of plastic and rubber melted from the high intensity impact and heat from the shredding process. Contaminated scrap in the form of plastics and rubber come from the many cars, industrial machinery and other product items such as white goods that are processed. This is also combined with construction waste that includes foam and plastic, timber and rubber. The shredder process separates the 'floc' from the most of the metal, is contained in large piles and is carted off in tipper trucks to landfill sites. This is an expensive part of this business and continues to be an increasing expense as landfill fees continue to increase.
Cause for Change
Tighter landfill reduction and government legislative controls in Europe are helping recycling companies to find innovative ways to reduce landfill waste and these innovations could also find their way into Australian metal recycling industry. Greenhouse emissions and concerns for ongoing environmental effects of waste treatments at ground level such as dust and water contamination are an ongoing concern for government and publics. IBIS industry reports (2016) also suggest an estimate of falling growth for this industry in the next five years with it being in a declining industry lifecycle. With this knowledge the industry may benefit with the improvement on downstream activities using of new technology to recover inaccessible metals, reduce waste and use waste for re-useable resources. 
Some Methods Currently being Used
Treatment of this floc waste is generally a fractioning method. Effective fractioning methods can recover metal particles > 1mm. Companies have various quality metal-from-IBA recovery systems at their many different processing plants. This still leaves the problem of separated plastic and rubber waste even if the recovery of metals is highly efficient.
Throughout Europe various government legislation has allowed IBA to be used as aggregate for concrete manufacturing used as a secondary building material for road construction, bridge, flyover embankments, sound walls ect.
The Future
 A system that has been reviewed and proposed for Australia is a new process using pyrolysis plants.
 The sorted plastic would be fed into a ‘‘pyrolysis’’ plant and turned into ‘‘high viscosity fuel oil’’.
Industry spokespeople have said that the 1000s of tonnes of metal processing of white goods and car bodies leave a left over waste material of up to 25%. Proposed recycling plants especially designed to separate waste material in steel, plastic, rubber and other waste are hoped to cut landfill waste by 30%. This 30% reduction would be mostly due to the sorted plastic waste content being turned into high viscosity fuel oil after the plastic part of the waste is fed into a pyrolysis plant.
Another method currently used at times, is the use of machinery designed to compact materials into small compact blocks or briquettes. Sorted waste can be briquetted for secondary uses such as fuel, metal waste raw material and for oil containment systems (spill kits).
Another method that can be used is burning the waste.  Fuelling power stations and cement kilns from the burning of 'floc' can be used in the same way that discarded tyres are used in the practice known as tyre derived fuel or TDF. This practice generally burns waste as fuel at extremely high temperatures and filters out most of the pollutants during the high temperature burn off. This practice may be of concern for both government and publics especially in Australia where green practices are favoured over the burning fuel to generate power. The burning of fossil fuels and synthetic man made fuels is an environmental issue although it is an individual or collective point of view on whether this issue concerns people or not. I believe the majority of the population would favour a clean atmosphere than not. Global warming is one issue people follow or don't, amounts of dioxins, furans and other chlorine based pollutants possibly produced from the high temperature burning of this waste for fuel may be of concern to stakeholders and publics.
Current Domestic Market Situation for Contaminated Metals
 Having spent nearly five years in the Australian metal recycling industry with two different companies I have seen a reduction of the intake of contaminated metals into the processing system.  Aluminium contaminated with high amounts of plastics, timber or glass that was once fetching good prices of around $400 a tonne in 2012-2014 is now considered low grade light gauge metal and has been reduced to a low price of around $20-$40 a tonne. The local scrap merchants would make a modest living from collecting this product mostly from council approved kerbside pick-ups. The downgrading and price reduction has limited scrap merchants profitability and reduced contaminated metals from being sold and therefore processed through the shredder. The effort and hard work to collect this product for an income has now been made 'hardly worth it', as dropped price and lower demand for this product grade; cannot produce a decent profit for local scrap collectors. Also the application of a 10% waste levy for light gauge steel deliveries can make this practice more costly than profitable. When taking opportunity costs into account, if one was to consider to enter this trade as a way to make an income especially while the price of scrap steel light gauge is at a low level it probably isn't worth the effort at present for the collection and trade of this particular contaminated scrap product.
This in turn has seen some scrap dealers cleaning contaminants off the aluminium products for a better price and reduced shredder off-waste.

Dirty Tricks
Some of the not-so-green practices I have seen in my time working in a metal recycling yard.

• The distribution of tonnes of a high profile clients plastic waste collected from the stripping of copper cable that was then spread throughout the low grade metal pile and hidden from view. This waste would then go through the shredder to be turned into floc to become a hidden cost. 
• Oil leaking from scrap engine blocks leaking onto the ground and into a nearby drain, this resulted in a fine from local council.
• Burning of plastic bags containing brass fittings to reduce time and effort. (This did not work, and made the employee sick).
• Filling shipping containers used as barriers around scrap operations with tonnes of waste floc. Either used as a sound barrier or used as an alternative to real gravel as a fire retardant. This may be considered a fire hazard as it could ignite from a scrap pile fire with enough heat and oxygen.
• The disassembly of air conditioners, fridges and machinery without removal and containment of the gas. (a common practice that is near impossible to govern by the E.P.A).
• Burning of insulated copper wire with diesel or petrol to remove the plastic off the copper to upgrade the product for a better price.
• Tyres going through the shredding process without any thought of proper disposal such as recycling, waste-to-energy or disposal in a appropriate facility.

Smart Operation
In this Australian business climate of metal recycling, it would be a smart practice to be diligent by  researching sustainable waste management systems. A proactive approach that encourages innovation and invests in better processing systems will help to provide profitable returns and develop positive public perceptions. Reducing waste amount to landfill by recovering most of the by-product for secondary use and developing a product-demand new resource for this waste product can help maintain growth in the industry. This waste-product may be recycled for fuel or for manufacturing purposes in export and domestic markets and could be a key for the sustainability and growth of the metal recycling business.
Recommendations for the Australian Metal Recycling Industry

• Work more towards the reduction of floc waste by the removal of tyres and large plastics with the machinery that these companies have at their disposal (excavators at all sizes with grabs)
• Move in the proposed directions of waste-to-fuel using new technology such as pyrolysis plants.
• Increase briquetted methods to produce a secondary resource of products for many different industries for construction and fuel.
• Analyse the smaller and larger competition to find ways to reduce their market share.
• Increase R&D into the viability of off-waste products for profit and test markets for interest.
• Recruit global marketers with innovative ideas and industry contacts instead of going on the advice of old management with agendas that won't work effectively in today's tough business climate.
• Adopt new technology if it passes industry testing of processing and waste reduction/recycling.
• Continue the practice of downgrading contaminated most contaminated metals. 
• Develop better customer resource management systems. (This for another time and blog).  

SOME OF THE GOLD COASTS SAND MINING PAST LAYS IN SCRAP

Currumbin Minerals Old Scrap Remnants

I love the past when it reveals itself.
 Sandmining operations ran for many years across many southern Gold Coast beaches even when it was fast becoming a tourist destination. Today in the Currumbin Industrial Area large broken and rusted clumps of scrap metal and equipment lay over the grounds of land owned by the Currumbin Minerals Company, the original company of the Neumanns Organisation.

                                      
Old sand mining equipment lays across Currumbin industrial land. Scrap dealers can only lick their lips and hope that one day they may get their hands on some of it.

 Neumanns's today has other industrial practices such as steel supplies, civil construction and concrete manufacturing but still continues to produce sand products for the construction industry. From its beginnings as The Beach Sand Mining Company and then to become Currumbin Minerals the company  mined the beaches for minerals in the rich sands of the Gold Coast with several other sand mining companies. These companies worked hard to meet steep demands for zircon, rutile, ilmenite and other minerals for titanium production and many other applications.
Sand mining changed the shape of the Gold Coast coastline with its work using local natural resources such as sand dunes and coastal lagoons. The mining companies often left the land flat and level along the beach fronts to prepare for future development much to the approval of council.

 
Today beaches struggle to recover from cyclones and tropical storms and need constant sand replenishment from the dredging and pumping from nearby rivers and creeks. Gold Coast beaches now have light fine sands that are all yellow without the black weighted mineral. The heavy original mineral rich sands that may have assisted to hold the coast together  have been replaced by constant expensive Gold Coast City sand replenishment, maintenance programs. Historical sand mining has been proven to be one of the factors for the fragile state of today's Gold Coast beaches. In the  research to write this blog I couldn't find specific evidence that the  removal of heavy minerals from beach sands contributed to erosion. However there was plenty of evidence from journals and government documents that found the dredging and removal of sands and altering natural coastline structure did contribute significantly to coastal destabilisation.

Taxi Facts and Secrets, Australia 2016 From a Driver's Perspective.

TAXI INDUSTRY FACTS AND SECRETS

This blog uncovers some of the aspects of the taxi/ride sharing industry that consumers may be unaware of. How do I know some of these things? I have been driving for two different companies for around 6 years both night and day shifts, both quiet and busy shifts driving WATS (wheelchair accessible taxi) and sedans. I won’t claim I know or have even heard of all the tricks but I thought this may be an interesting blog for some people to read from the perspective of a cabbie. There are a couple of things I will not disclose though in case the wrong people read this blog.

Ubers Different Revenue Methods

Interesting times in 2016 have seen different state regulations relaxed to give Uber a foothold into the market as a direct competitor of the existing Australian Taxi Industry. Uber the ride sharing service has drivers receiving trips from an app with the majority of the fare going to the driver charged from passenger’s credit cards. From the beginning government regulation was no contest for big businesses, Uber even paid large fines that drivers encountered early in their running days issued by Government department officials. This was when Uber wasn’t legal, to help keep the service going. When competing on a shift against taxis and other Uber drivers, drivers on a shift are also taking cash jobs from those waiting at  taxi ranks or by running their own agenda from the handing out of business cards building an ‘off the record’ customer base. Its good news for consumers particularly for passengers going longer distances that would usually pay quite an expensive fare in a regular cab. Uber benefit mostly during surging peak times taking both app and cash jobs. During quieter periods a rate of under 10 dollars an hour is well expected.

Uber Issues

Ask any limo driver how hard it is to keep a hire car in a condition that the customer expects. People can be smelly or dirty or have food or drinks in hand that they will sneak on even if you tell them not to. Some will try to smoke or play with lighters. Others will graffiti the back of seats. Vomit and urine are common as well from the sick or intoxicated. Heeling or heel stub is not a word a limo driver wants to hear. This is a term referred to when a women digs her stilettos into a seat as she is being pleasured. This happens a lot on the way back from a wedding reception. Will the driver cop the cost of a punctured seat or try to patch it up himself and risk making his Uber/hire car look cheap? Uber customers expect a high standard at a low cost. Uber drivers may spend many hours of work each week to keep the interior and exterior of the car clean and shiny and that is something taxi operators don’t have to be as concerned about. Other issues with being an Uber driver other than having to keep a vehicle in top condition are fuel and mechanical maintenance costs, customer false or unfair ratings, competition of other start up Uber drivers and low pay at times at low demand periods especially from distance fares. Oh and then there is rapid depreciation of the vehicle.

At this stage in late 2016 it has been estimated that Uber have taken 30% of the ride sharing market. These estimations are based on taxi driver’s reductions and taxi fleet operator’s businesses total monthly takings from their fleets.

Taxi Services Facts and Secrets

Taxi companies vary in the different services they provide. The combinations of vans equipped with wheel chair facilities that can also seat 10 passengers and station wagons equipped with wheel chair facilities as well as standard sedans and up to 9 seater people movers. City drivers must complete a course to become competent as well as fulfil police and identification checks and pay a fee to qualify as a driver in the Australian cities. Country regional drivers only need to fill out forms, pay a fee and fulfil police and identification checks. City Taxi services usually have a high percentage of Indian, Pakistanis and Bangladesh drivers. Country taxi services are multicultural employers but tend to have a high percentage of Australian Caucasian drivers. Most services run off an efficient computer system that is controlled by a base allocating jobs through a ranking and positioning system. Some country services have drivers handle their own incoming calls and allocate jobs to a ranking system and positioning strategy where if there is a closer driver near to a new job, that driver will take that fare over the 1^st driver waiting back at the rank.

Taxi drivers usually work an average rate of around 10 dollars an hour when quiet shifts with long hours without any fares/work are taken into consideration.

Taxi drivers use a meter to manage fares with different tariff rates depending on times, public holidays and the number of passengers. Some taxi meters today in sedans are adjusted automatically and can’t be adjusted by the driver manually. Vans and other people movers (passengers 5 or over) have a manual meter with the driver being able to set the meter from tariff 1 through to tariff 7.

TARRIF RATES FOR TAXIS IN COUNTRY N.S.W

Tariff 1	Normal day time rate, 6.00am-10.00pm
Tariff 3	Sundays and public holidays, also night time rate 10.00pm-6.00am.
Tariff 5	5 or more passengers, normal rate time 6.00am-10.00pm.
Tariff 7	5 or more passengers, night time rate, 10.00pm-6.00am.

 

So a taxi driver in control of what tariff he can set fares at can ultimately set any tariff rate at any time. Passengers would be advised to be diligent and check the meter to see what tariff rate they are being charged as drivers unwillingly may have forgot to adjust it or may be ripping customers off intentionally. A sedan has only two tariffs to choose from whereas a maxi or people mover can choose from up to four different rates (see table above).

Other Concerns in the Taxi Industry

Taxi drivers in some circumstances can run unmetered fares, that are usually called ‘quoted fares’ that run a trip without the meter going. This is usually an agreement between the passenger and driver before the trip. The end of shift total split usually is from 45%-50% for the driver and the cab owner to pay for fuel and take the rest. Unquoted jobs are based on honesty and it is up to the driver to declare them on a running sheet or fare disclosure at the end of the shift. Unquoted jobs can only be proven that they are done by excessive kilometres but the driver can then say that he went out to a distance fare to pick someone up and then when he got there they had gone or changed their mind. As this does happen then it is a viable story whether it is true or not. Drivers with a low kilometre per dollar rate are often more desired to drive operator’s vehicles than those who run large amounts of kilometres without disclosing quoted fares. For example if a driver runs 320 kilometres for the night and has a gross taking of $600 (total cab taking for driver and cab owner) then this is simply worked out as $600/320km= $1.85 per kilometre. This is a good rate. If you take a bad running cost then it would be gross takings of $230/260km= earning 88 cents per kilometre is a poor running rate.  

Drivers also have been rumoured to be dealing in illegal drugs at times or may also be using. Drivers for taxi companies at this stage in 2016 do not have to undergo any drug testing. Drug dealing taxi or Uber drivers may be a rarity but they certainly mix in the right circles and to suspect that some may be doing this wouldn’t be chasing at shadows. Occasionally dealers will employ a taxi or Uber to run them around to do a drug run, driving at various drop off points with the driver often receiving a tip at the end. It is in a driver’s best interest at times to turn a blind eye and play the 3 monkeys card. Imagine being told by four large men dressed in black, “You didn’t see anything mate,” as they put something wrapped in plastic into the back of your cab.

What many new drivers to the rideshare industry find out is that to be successful as a professional driver one must be skilled at assisting the elderly, sick and disabled -  I am not big noting myself as a good Samaritan but these are just some examples of what I have done to assist people in order to complete a fare. I have personally have gone into a hospital to receive a fare who has just been released and I have put the shoes and socks on to the patients feet and then assisted the patient onto the lift do go down three floors to my awaiting taxi.

Other times I have assisted the elderly and sick.

*Once an elderly gentleman refused to go into an ambulance and I helped him into my cab instead while the ambulance was still there at the scene.

*Another time a guy in poor health was picked up at a medical centre. A large amount of dead skin from his legs floated through the air and I was breathing it in as I drove him home.

 *We often assist the visually impaired as well guiding them into chemists and medical centres guiding them through doorways and upstairs.

 Drivers don’t necessarily have to do some of these things it is totally up to them on how far they want to help out or not help out. At another time a fare allocated to me was a young lady waiting at a service station who just couldn’t drive her own vehicle anymore as she was over tired and may have been strung out on drugs as well. So I moved her car into a safe spot and took her about 40 kilometres away to where she lived. It was a good fare but I made the decision to cross a busy road and move her car and I guess some other drivers may not have done this.

Negotiating with drunks and angry people is another skilled required. People will not be afraid to be loud and comment rudely about anything at any time. A driver can escalate the situation by being aggressive or by not taking adequate control of a situation. There is a balance that a driver must learn and that is to be empathetic and firm but fair.

A good driver must be tolerant to rude remarks and at times mild verbal abuse, they must be patient and be able to understand other peoples’ situations. A driver can be a nursing aid, a phycologist, a listening ear and a parcel delivery service. Develop an even spread of these skills will often lead to some nice tips and more fulfilment from the job knowing you’ve helped someone out.

UBER IMPACT

Uber drivers are expected to come and go from the industry. Some may leave when the reality of working with people isn’t quite so glamourous. The advantages of supplying your own car are soon being questioned when passengers mess up or are abusive. The ratings system may not mean much too intoxicated passengers when they have been partying all night and enjoying the ride home is still part of the party experience. There is truth to say that they have made a fair dent in the industry and they will continue to do so. Uber has been label a scam but not to passengers. Uber is a scam to the vulnerable drivers trying to earn a dollar from travelling for $1 dollar hired with other running costs.