Peer’s Wisdom
Is Faruque still Media Manager for the NSW TDA? Was his latest tirade, directed to "The Victorian Director General of Transport" (a position which doesn't exist in Vic.) and cc-ed to the media, representative of the NSW
TDA's views? The media probably thinks so which would explain why it rarely if ever approaches the NSW TDA for comment or interviews, preferring instead the more intelligent responses from the ATDA aka Jools.
Even if Faruque didn't sign off as NSW TDA Media Manager, it will be assumed that the 'letter' was from that association.
Snip...
> The commendable multicultural, Melbourne taxi drivers' spontaneous blockade/strike was a > genuine and legal one. No one should dismiss or minimise their great effort with blatant and > pseudo racism as we have witnessed recently.
The demo got fantastic media coverage and except for a couple of shock-jocks, all of it complimentary and supportive. Not one report was racist.
> These taxi drivers do not have cameras, a global positioning system, workable afety shields > or anything in this so called 21st century Victorian work environment.
All cabs in Melbourne have cameras and GPS, and screens as in NSW are available but optional. Faruque's claim therefore makes him look like an ill-informed idiot.
> Surely, a student or any workers poverty should not deny or diminish their basic industrial
> and safety related rights.
It is estimated that around 30% of Melbourne taxi drivers are foreign students, the vast majority of them from India. No doubt some of them can drive a car and speak sufficient English to make themselves understood, but few of them have sufficient proficiency to become taxi drivers let alone the ability to deal with drunks, violent hooligans and lunatics.
If Faruque was genuinely interested in their safety, he would be advocating that no foreign person should be allowed to study for a taxi driver authority unless he has had an Australian drivers licence for 2 years, is proficient in English and has passed an advanced driving course. That would save a considerable number of foreign students (and others) from being robbed, bashed and even killed. It would also help lift the profile of cabbies in general and give us the public respect which we so badly need.
According to taxi operators I have spoken to in Melbourne 70-80% of all accidents involving their taxis also involve foreign drivers who have been driving in Melbourne for less than 2 years.
Evidently Faruque doesn't want to recognize inexperience as major danger to especially foreign students and as a crippling cost to the industry. Instead, he demands that every idiot stepping off a plane from Mumbai should be allowed to drive a cab on arrival or he will yell "racial discrimination".
Well Faruque, if you truly care about driver safety, especially Indian student and new migrant safety, you would suggest to them that until they learn to drive a car in a big city, understand what the traffic signs and passengers are saying and have some idea of the local culture and geography, the last job they should seek is that of a taxi driver. They are much safer working for McDonalds or K-mart - and they would earn more money.
Faruque is not interested in the safety of his 'brothers'. He is not after racial equality. He want's his 'brothers' to go out and get killed in the name of racial equality. And he is the official voice of the NSW TDA.
Struth!!!
PEER
Source: NSW TDA Forum
