“Doesn’t feel fair”: New tax on Uber and Uber Eats

The already expensive Uber you ordered to get home from town just got worse. Photo / Uber  

A new tax making Uber more expensive doesn’t take into account women who rely on it to get home safely.  

The Goods and Services tax (GST) was approved at the start of March, charging 15% more on ride-sharing, food and beverage and delivery digital platforms.  

However, National promised to take away the law if it won the election.  

Georgia Cotterill, third year Screen Arts student used Uber often to get home at night and after parties.  

When asked if she would still use Uber with the 15% tax she said, “My threshold for what I will spend will go up when I need to get home in the dark.” 

The tax is set to start in next April and was estimated to raise $47 million a year.  

Cotterill had relied on Uber many times to get her home safely and get her out of scary situations.  

In her first year of uni, she was waiting for her bus after a movie at night when a man came close to her and started asking her lots of questions.  

Cotterill felt uncomfortable and scared, “I was trying to stay calm… I told him my name was Lucy.” 

She waited until the man got on the bus she was meant to catch and she ordered an Uber home.  

She said the bus system is so unreliable that students need Uber.  

Often she’d try to catch the bus home at night and it would be cancelled or drive past without picking her up.  

Cotterill felt for younger students who will have to pay more for Uber Eats.  

“Flatting in first year, I had no energy or time to cook or supermarket shop so you just get takeout and Uber Eats.” 

Libie Nguyen, Communications student said Uber drivers wages should increase, not tax.  

Currently, only Uber drivers earning over $60,000 annual revenue have to register for GST, but most do not earn this much.  

Nguyen said, “They shouldn’t charge that much but I feel bad for the drivers, for all the crazy people they have to deal with.”  

She said her friend once vomited in an Uber ride home.  

She felt the tax was unfair on students, “They should do a student discount”. 

Nguyen felt ultimately, the higher prices fell back on students and women who need to Uber home after a night out or in an emergency.  

“In the end, you still have to use it.”  

Visual Effects student, Sapphire Wihiano said the new tax “definitely doesn’t feel fair”. 

She said the government “doesn’t see the demographic using it (Uber)”. 

She felt it would be hard for women who rely on Uber after dark.  

“It's gonna cause a safety issue, especially because buses stop at certain times when people are partying till 2 am.”