Scott Hamilton faced a troubling situation when his Uber requests were repeatedly denied at Brisbane Airport, leading him to seek a taxi instead for a short trip to Pinkemba Port, where he and his wife Sarah were set to join a two-night cruise to Sydney. After experiencing numerous Uber cancellations, Hamilton approached a driver from Black and White Cabs for the 11-kilometre journey.
Concerns about being overcharged prompted Hamilton to record the ride on his phone. His apprehensions proved correct when the taxi driver obscured the meter and attempted to hide the fare amount on the EFTPOS machine. Hamilton was charged $59 for the fare—double the expected amount calculated on the company’s website. During the ride, he confronted the driver, stating, “I’m videoing this because I’m going to call the police on you… I’ve been recording the whole time.”
Hamilton’s video showed the meter indicating a ride duration of 40 minutes, despite him only being in the cab for 17 minutes. He expressed his frustration, saying, “Car was great. Trip was great. Driver was a fraud.”
Following the incident, Black and White Cabs’ managing director, Greg Webb, acknowledged that the driver had indeed admitted to deliberately overcharging Hamilton. Webb stated that while the driver initially made excuses, the evidence led to a confession of wrongdoing.
As a result of the findings, Hamilton will be fully refunded the fare, and the driver will face compliance measures from Black and White Cabs for their actions.