Taxi survey report

Perceptions of personal safety and security amongst taxi users

Print version: Taxi survey report (PDF, 1.08 MB, 28 pages)

2.   Context

• 2.1   Taxi survey — perceptions of safety
• 2.2   Business objectives
• 2.3   Research objectives

2.1   Taxi survey — perceptions of safety

Among its many functions, Land Transport New Zealand is responsible for regulating the country's passenger transport sector, including the taxi industry.

In 2005 a report on Effectiveness of controls over the taxi industry, issued by the Controller and Auditor General, raised 61 recommendations for improvement. Many of these recommendations have now been addressed through a variety of measures, including a 10 member dedicated Taxi Enforcement team based in Wellington and Auckland.

Land Transport NZ wishes to capture a snapshot of the taxi industry, through the eyes of taxi users, by way of a public survey, under the title ‘Perceptions of Safety’. The survey was conducted by MMResearch™ with people aged 15 years and over who live in the metropolitan areas of Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

2.2   Business objectives

Land Transport NZ's key objectives for this project are:

• To design, execute and report on a market survey of recent taxi users, the aim of which is to achieve an understanding of the wider public's ‘perceptions of safety’ around the use of taxis;
• To identify opportunities for interventions which aim to increase public confidence in the taxi industry through targeted education, policy and enforcement; and
• To create a benchmark against which future surveys can measure the effectiveness of those interventions and change over time.

2.3   Research objectives

The survey seeks to canvas the New Zealand public's confidence in the taxi industry. This includes:

• Perceptions of how safe and secure the use of taxis is as a personal transport option;
• The overall standard of taxi driving and driver behaviour; and
• The condition of the taxi fleet.

The survey will also inform Land Transport NZ of the level of public knowledge and understanding of passengers' rights when choosing to use taxis, together with the rights of the taxi driver/operator.

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Page created: 11 November 2008