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How many Ministers does it take to sort out a mess?

Iain

LEES-GALLOWAY

Transport Spokesperson

27 June 2013 MEDIA STATEMENT
How many Ministers does it take to sort out a mess?

The Government hasn’t lifted a finger to deal with the problem of dodgy security cameras in taxis despite knowing about the problem since October last year, Labour’s Transport spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway says.

“For eight months, taxi companies and the Taxi Federation have been pleading with the Government to sort out the mess that has resulted from a rushed and inadequate rule change made by Steven Joyce in 2011.

“Mr Joyce promised to make taxis safer for both drivers and passengers, but failed to follow the advice of the Taxi Federation and signed off on an inadequate Land Transport Rule, which not only made cameras compulsory in most taxis, but specified what those cameras had to be capable of doing.

“Simon Bridges, then Associate Transport Minister, was made aware of it in October last year. He did nothing to fix it.

“Current Minister, Michael Woodhouse, appears to have been oblivious to the problem, admitting in the House today that he first heard of the issue via recent media reports.

“He hadn’t even been given a letter written to Gerry Brownlee by the Taxi Federation alerting him to the fact the half of all security camera systems installed in New Zealand taxis are counterfeit, incorrectly installed, able to be tampered with or just don’t produce the images the police require to investigate allegations of crimes committed in taxis.

“That’s four National Party ministers who have passed the buck or simply refused to respond to the problem. Meanwhile nothing has changed and the safety of drivers and passengers remains at unnecessary risk.”

ENDS


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