New survey shows most Kiwis rate taxis highly

A new survey gauging New Zealanders' perceptions of taxi services has revealed a high level of public confidence in the taxi industry.

A new survey gauging New Zealanders’ perceptions of taxi services has revealed a high level of public confidence in the taxi industry. 

The survey carried out for the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) canvassed 800 recent taxi users in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. 

Key results include: 

• 94% of respondents rated the physical condition of taxis as “very clean” or “acceptably clean” and of “reasonable” or “very good” physical condition
• 82% felt “very safe and secure” or “reasonably safe and secure” using taxis
• 78% felt drivers were “professional” or “very professional”. 

While most respondents rated their most recent experience of using a taxi highly, 27% also reported having had a negative taxi experience sometime in the past. However, only a quarter of these respondents said they had lodged a complaint about the negative experience. 

NZTA Commercial Road Transport Manager John Doesburg says while this may indicate that the majority of negative experiences are of a relatively minor nature, the NZTA encourages taxi users to let companies know any time they’ve received poor service.    

“Public feedback has a major role to play in driving improvements in the taxi industry. All taxi organisations are required by law to maintain a register of complaints, and make it available to NZTA. We’re committed to improving standards in the industry, and the more information we have from the public the better. If the service you receive isn’t up to scratch, make a complaint - you’ll be giving the company a reason to lift its game.” 

Mr Doesburg also stressed that taxi users should contact their nearest NZTA office if a complaint isn’t resolved, and any serious incidents should be immediately reported to Police. He urged taxi users to note the taxis company’s name, the taxi’s fleet number and the driver’s unique ID number. The easiest way to do this is to request a receipt, which by law must carry all these identifiers. 

Other highlights from the survey include: 

• Consumption or planned consumption of alcohol is the most common reason for taxi use
• Patrons are twice as likely to choose a taxi firm based on reputation as they are on price
• More than half consider it important that their chosen taxi company make an effort to be environmentally friendly.  

Mr Doesburg said the survey sets a benchmark against which NZTA will be measuring public confidence in the taxi industry over the coming years. 

For full results of the survey, visit http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/commercial/docs/taxi-survey-report.pdf (PDF, 1.05 MB, 28 pages)