Australian Capital Territory
Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Maximum Fares for Taxi Services Determination 2013 
Disallowable instrument DI 2013—77
made under the  
Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Act 2001, section 60 (power to determine maximum taxi fares)
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Section 60(1) of the Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Act 2001 provides that the Minister may, in writing, determine the maximum fares relating to hiring or using a taxi.  A determination under section 60(1) is a disallowable instrument.
 
This determination provides for the increase of the Airport toll from $2.00 to $3.00.  

The Airport toll was introduced in 2000 to recover a contribution by taxi users for the major reconstruction and expansion of the terminal road infrastructure and taxi queuing facilities at the Canberra Airport. Since that time, the Wage Price Index (WPI) increase would see a charge of $3.29.  This is the first time that the toll has been increased since it was introduced.  

The $2.00 fee was intended to increase to $2.50 in 2007 to reflect the increases in the general level of prices over the previous 6 years and then to $3.00 in 2010 on completion of the first stage of the new terminal but the Airport management deferred each of these increases until 2012 due to construction works which were underway.  The deferral of those increases is the major reason why the current increase is such a significant step up, but as noted it reflects less than the WPI.
The Airport is spending $480 million on delivering a state of the art airport terminal facility.  Part of the new terminal works includes new taxi facilities for drivers, taxi vehicles and taxi passengers both for pick up and drop off.  The purpose of the increase in the toll is to assist in recovering some of this significant capital cost.

No changes are made to any other taxi charges by this determination.