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Australia: Uber is now officially legal

By  |  December 21, 2015

The New South Wales government has officially declared ride-sharing service Uber legal in Australia’s most populous state, with the Western Australia government expected to follow suit come July 2016. Earlier in October this year, Uber had its first Australian legalisation win when the when the Australian Capital Territory legalised its UberX service.

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    The move by the NSW state is accompanied by changes to its taxi and hire car industry as well. However, the Uber service is not yet legal throughout Australia, with some states banning the service altogether, like in Victoria. Uber is suggesting a $150 annual permit for drivers using its mobile app to accept trip requests in an attempt to legalise its services there.

    NSW transport minister Andrew Constance told Car Advice that the new laws, effective immediately, provides consumers with more choices in their commute, while also benefiting from increased competition in the industry, with the possibility of new entrants.

    “These reforms are expected to blow the doors of innovation wide open for ‘booked’ services, where customers can track their driver, provide direct feedback, hold them more accountable and choose from accessible price points,” Constance said.

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