UberX is getting a price hike, thanks to the whole “GST on fares” thing, but at least those on Australia’s east coast can hire an UberX. South Australia’s not so fortunate, where the service is illegal, though the state’s opposition leader, Steven Marshall, believes it should at least be given a “trial”.
It’s all about unemployment — well, reducing it — according to a story by the ABC’s Tom Fedorowytsch. In the article, Marshall mentions job seekers have shown a great deal of interest in working for Uber in South Australia, though it’s kind of hard to work for the company when the service it provides is against the law:
“We know there have been 5,000 applicants for jobs working for Uber in South Australia,” he said.
“We’re in the mix of a dangerous jobs crisis with the highest unemployment rate in the nation and we can’t see any reason to hold back an UberX trial.”
It’s mentioned that a “wide-ranging review” of UberX has been undertaken as part of a larger dissection of the taxi industry, but SA’s transport minister Stephen Mullighan is quoted as saying the state government won’t do Uber “a special deal” based solely on its appearance “in media”.
[ABC]