Australia's taxi industry is taking the fight to popular transport app Uber, claiming the only way passengers can feel safe in a cab is if it's with one of their drivers.
The Australian Taxi Industry Association have slammed app-based taxi operators, saying they are ducking their responsibility to run background checks on their drivers.
"It's a little bit like the guy who tells you his product is safe and legit then starts ducking for cover when he sees a police officer coming down the road," ATIA CEO Blair Davies said on Friday.
"If Uber is as strict on criminal history checking and complying with safety regulations as it claims, why would it need to engage in practices designed to avoid and frustrate law enforcement agencies?"
Mr Davies said the 68,000 taxi drivers represented by ATIA are subjected to strict criminal and background checks, a safety requirement that Uber is not adhering to.
Uber was recently in hot water after a male Victorian driver was alleged to have indecently assault a 19-year-old female passenger as he drove her home on New Year's Day.
The ATIA said Uber only conducts a one-off review of its drivers, with those checks undertaken by a third party private contractor.
Comment has been sought from Uber.
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