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“The way some in the industry have preyed on the most vulnerable in our community makes me absolutely sick,particularly because,for some people with a disability,the only way they can get around our community ... is in a taxi or in a ride-share vehicle. That is something that should never be taken away from them,that should never be abused.”

Opposition consumer affairs spokesman Tim McCurdy on Monday called for Safe Transport Victoria chief executive Tammy O’Connor to be sacked over the saga.

“It is time for change,” McCurdy said. “Victorians deserve to be safe from abuse and exploitation when they book a cab – and that starts at the top with the regulator.”

Safe Transport Victoria – which boasts the motto “safe journeys,every time” – declined to comment.

Asked about Singh’s case on Monday,Allan said abusing passengers with disabilities “disgusts me to my core” and that the Department of Transport and Planning was looking at enforcing more rigorous checks for driver accreditations.

She said the revelations were a message to the industry to clean up its act.

“The Department of Transport and Planning is undertaking a review,looking at how we can strengthen the procurement practices,strengthen the accreditation practices,and also using technology as well. This is disgusting behaviour. It disgusts me to my core because people with a disability deserve better than this,and that is why this review is being undertaken.”

In December,Singh pleaded guilty to 499 charges,including dozens of fraud and overcharging offences,along with seven counts of assaulting his disabled passengers.

He was also convicted of cramming his taxi with up to four passengers in wheelchairs instead of the legal limit of two,blowing a blood-alcohol reading of 0.191 and failing to safely secure his passengers’ chairs while the taxi was moving.

The 57-year-old was convicted and fined $20,000 with a two-year community corrections order. In sentencing,Magistrate Kieran Gilligan said laws governing taxi drivers should be reformed to allow courts to more easily impose jail terms.

Opposition Leader Brad Battin said Victorians should feel safe in taxis and be free from fear they could be ripped off.

“We need to have the laws there to ensure we can protect that community,” Battin said.

“Now,if the laws aren’t adequate,and we need more action on that,we’d be willing to look at that and find out what is the best course of action to make sure that there is a strong message to people who are driving commercial vehicles in Victoria that you cannot rip off people in this state. You can’t steal from them,and you can’t,as we’ve seen in some of the videos,abuse them in your vehicle.”

The Taxileaks investigation revealed rampant rorting of vulnerable passengers and government organisations.

The scams typically involve taxi drivers exploiting loopholes in the terminal and payment systems A2B provides to them for a fee,or gaming Cabcharge fare payment products which A2B supplies to state and federal agencies,companies,hospitals and other health and disability services.

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