Qld govt acting on Uber 'very soon'

Queensland Uber drivers will soon know if they can operate legally alongside taxi services, with a government review due by Sunday.

The Queensland government will outline its intentions for ride-sharing app Uber "very soon", transport minister Stirling Hinchliffe says.

A report by the taskforce investigating how Uber may be regulated to operate alongside taxis is due to be handed to the government by Sunday after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk ordered it be brought forward by one month.

Mr Hinchliffe told a budget estimates hearing on Thursday the report would be made public once the government had considered it and prepared a response.

The said this would happen "very soon".

"It's something that we want to be doing in a prompt way," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"We know there are significant expectations out there in the community."

Pressed by the opposition's transport spokesman Andrew Powell, Mr Hinchliffe contrasted Labor's approach to that of the LNP.

"The former government issued a cease and desist notice and then they did nothing else," he said.

"We're acting thoughtfully and progressively on dealing with a very difficult situation."

The taskforce's chairman, Jim Varghese, has said the review would examine linking taxis to public transport networks to help drivers maintain revenue as Uber competition increases.

Uber drivers were fined $786,405 in the month after laws came into force in April cracking down on ride-sharing services.

The legislation increased fines for drivers by more than $900 to $2356 and transport inspectors were given greater power to investigate.

Uber drivers challenged the fines, and the company ran a campaign for passengers to "fine" Ms Palaszczuk in response.

Last month, Uber introduced UberXL, which gives passengers access to vehicles that can seat up to six people.

The taxi industry has fiercely defended itself, arguing Uber drivers shouldn't be able to undercut taxis as they don't have to pay the license fees that taxis are required to pay.


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Source: AAP


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