‘Beyond a joke’: Uber and taxi drivers plead for relief as petrol prices rise again

The Transport Workers’ Union says the federal government’s refusal to provide targeted relief on fuel prices for drivers had led to many feeling a ‘deadly squeeze’. Photograph: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Ride-share and taxi drivers say the rising cost of petrol is putting them under enormous strain and have bemoaned existing relief measures as a “joke”.

Major ride-share companies including Uber introduced a temporary levy in response to record high petrol prices in March. Ola was the first to act, increasing its fares by 15%.