Mark Saunders has been both plate owner and driver in his 26-year career in the Perth taxi industry.
In 2000, Mr Saunders sold his taxi plates and now leases plates directly from the government.
He drives about four days a week on average and has two university students who drive for him on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as a weekend lease to another driver, which more than covers the weekly government rental fee of $250, compared with about $330/week to lease private plates.
Conventional taxi plates leased from the government must be on the road at peak times on Friday and Saturday nights, between 11pm and 3am.
Mr Saunders said the leasing arrangement with the government had provided an alternative to the expensive weekly rental rate of plates on the private market.
“With what’s happening with taxis and uncertainty within the industry, I realised my assets, in a way, and applied for a set of government plates, which I was fortunate enough to receive,” he said.
Mr Saunders believes that more taxi plates should be issued, although he acknowledges that the present level of elevated demand may not last.
“I think they need to issue more plates. The government is doing a good job, but they’ve got to find a balance. When this so-called boom ends, the last thing you want is taxi drivers sitting around in their taxis with no jobs,” he said.
“It’s very difficult to strike that balance, especially in these uncertain times.”
Mr Saunders said he sold his taxi plates to capitalise on an investment.
“When you have an investment in plates, you look upon them as your super. As the value of plates goes down, your super is drying up,” he said. “It’s not so bad for those guys who lease plates, like myself, which is why I did it.”
