Your Uber driver could be fined thousands

Forty Uber drivers using their vehicles illegally have been issued registration suspension fines by the NSW government as it cracks down on the ride-sharing service.

In a statement, RMS Director of Safety and Compliance Peter Wells said the vehicle suspensions would begin September 30 at midnight and last for three months. The legislation states that taxis and other hire auto services must have authorised and accredited operators and a licensed and insured vehicle.

Suspended vehicles found on the road from 1 October will be handed a fine of A$637 (£294, €400, $447) for each offence, increasing to around A$2,200 if heard in court, Wells added.

Uber’s submission pushed to make ride-sharing apps legal, but the tech disruptor has been facing an increasingly strident campaign against it from the NSW Taxi Council, which earlier this month protested outside Parliament House.

The state’s transport authority, the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS), which issued the suspensions, says ride-sharing remains illegal under passenger transport laws and those found using their vehicles for that objective would be targeted.

The suspension of 40 UberX drivers and thousands of dollars worth of fines are the first steps in a major crackdown on illegal ride-sharing in NSW. “We are shocked that the Roads and Maritime Services did not appear to show these drivers any due process and we are reviewing the legal options to reverse that decision”, Uber was quoted as saying by the Guardian.

The NSW Government has established an independent taskforce to examine the future of the taxi and hire vehicle industry.

The board will report their findings to the government in October.

Wells said the suspensions were only the latest moves against illegal services.

“We look forward to seeing the government recognise this by putting sensible ridesharing regulations in place as quickly as possible”, a company spokesperson said.