Amidst the roar of engines and the electric atmosphere of this year’s Australian Grand Prix, thousands of racing fans were treated to an unforgettable experience. Adding to the excitement, Safe Transport Victoria welcomed visitors in their Start Your Meters marquee, along with engaging them at taxi and rideshare ranks outside the track.
Start Your Meters was the clear message that visitors were asked to remember when taking an unbooked commercial passenger vehicle ride: if you hail a ride from a taxi rank or off the street, your driver must start the meter and use it to calculate the final fare.
The Start your Meters messaging is part of our new Ride Smart, Ride Safe program, with fair fares being the first focus area.
Visitors to the marquee enthusiastically played interactive educational games on offer, such as the Meter Master race, the Meter Matters trivia and the Fair Fares VR experience. Visitors flocked to have their photo taken in the yellow taxi “photo booth” at the front of the marquee and the Start your Meters branded giveaways were extremely popular with kids and adults alike.
In addition to the engagement activity, over 1,000 taxi and rideshare vehicles taking patrons to and from the Grand Prix were stopped and checked by Safe Transport Victoria safety inspectors at pickup and drop-off locations outside the Albert Park circuit.
Inspections were aimed at ensuring taxi and rideshare vehicles met safety requirements and that drivers of unbooked services had the meter on – and also as a visible deterrent against drivers thinking of doing the wrong thing.
Supporting these efforts, a team of ST Vic investigators working covertly in busy locations in nearby suburbs, disrupted and stopped unacceptable driver behaviour and practices.
Almost 2,000 inspections of vehicles and drivers were conducted over the four days of the Australian Grand Prix.
The Ride Smart Ride Safe program will run throughout the year – learn more at: https://safetransport.vic.gov.au/ridesmart-ridesafe/
