The report covers taxi fares in metropolitan Melbourne as well as the regional areas of Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo and advocates for a change in peak fare times for regional areas.

Ballarat’s current peak fare hours are between 12pm and 6am for all days of the week, however, the report proposes that the time slot be extended for Friday’s and Saturday’s, starting from 7pm and running right through to 6am the next day.

In the areas of Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo, maximum fares currently allow a late night fee of up to $3.40 to apply from midnight to 6am every day. 

The commission’s draft decision for these areas is to extend the times during which the late night fee may be charged to include Friday and Saturday nights from 7pm.

It would also allow for the current holiday charge in these areas of up to $4.20 to be applied from 7pm on the nights before public holidays, until 6am the next morning.

The report notes that there is pressure on taxi service providers to respond to increasing competition by lowering fares, improving service quality offerings, or both.

Ballarat Taxis Co-operative chairman Stephen Armstrong said while he’s not fully opposed to the proposed change in peak hours, ideally local services would take on the price notification system – which is in place in country areas.

“Taxi operators costs have increased exponentially through insurance, parts and maintaining vehicles,” Mr Armstrong said.

“It’s (the proposed change) probably in line with an increase we’re looking for, but in the long term we’d prefer to go down the path of price notification in line with country Victoria.

“Of course you’d have flexibility with your market (to accommodate for) the elderly and others like that under price notification.

“In actual fact, I don’t mind extending the peak time but perhaps we’d be looking for an increase (in fare) to the (current) normal operating hours.”

A final decision by the commission is expected by June 19.