Cabbies claim reforms won't help as taxi shake-up is unveiled Taxis at Melbourne Airport. Taxi driver/owner George Dedic. TAXI drivers have hit out at today's industry reforms despite the State Government's bid to crack down on big cab licence monopolies. Driver Kamil Katsa, 55, from Springvale has driven cabs for 20 years. He said he did not believe mandated fares payments to drivers would work. I don't trust them, I don't think it is going to help, where is the money going to come from? We haven't got fare increases in five years. Driver Yousry Bahloul, 58, used to own a licence but now works for Silvertop. He said he was angry the reforms would increase competition on the road among drivers. "It is rubbish," he said. as a driver there is already too much competition on the road, since 4am I have only earned $78 dollars. Every driver is going to be under more pressure to work long hours. Taxi drivers are now going to become aggressive toward each other because of the competition. Owner and driver George Dedic, 67, from Newport said his licence plate was his nest egg but under new reforms the $120,000 plate he purchased in 1992 was virtually worthless. I could sell it for $500,000 two years ago... Of course I do not feel happy about it but what am I going to do? I cannot sell my licence so now I will have to keep driving.