Hundreds of taxi drivers in Parliament protest

UPDATED: Taxi drivers have ended their standoff at Parliament House after Transport Minister Dean Nalder addressed the assembled crowd.

About 300 taxi drivers had refused to leave Parliament House's forecourt this afternoon, blocking traffic and parked cars with their taxis, until the Minister appeared.

Mr Nalder emerged about 5.15pm after meeting inside Parliament House with representatives of the Transport Workers Union.

Taxi protest won't hurt public: union

He fielded a handful of questions from the assembled crowd, which gave him a mostly respectful hearing.

The crowd applauded at the conclusion of his public remarks, which included an explanation of an upcoming green paper into the taxi industry.

Mr Nalder told the crowd that Uber had vexed regulators in every jurisdiction it had entered but the Department of Transport had now prosecuted one UberX driver, with more prosecutions to come, comments that won him applause.

"We have a number of cases that are about to be filed. We are now in a position where we pursuing prosecution," Mr Nalder said.

"One of the things we need to do is ensure that we enforce the law. The second aspect is to look at the industry itself."

The 300 taxi drivers – most with their cabs parked nearby – had earlier been told at the rally that ride-sharing service Uber was a "worldwide cancer".

Taxi drivers, many who travelled in convoy from Perth airport, tooted their horns and disrupted traffic around West Perth as they arrived.

The rally was organised by the Transport Workers Union and railed against the Department of Transport's failure to prevent ride-sharing service Uber, which the Government says is not legal, from gaining a toehold in the Perth market.

TWU organiser Steve Perkusich told the rally the Department of Transport had not done its job.

"But they're still charging you plate fees and lease fees that Uber don't have to pay," he said.

"There's violence against taxi drivers. Nobody should have to go to work and be in fear of being bashed or robbed - not the police, not the ambulance (service) and certainly not taxi drivers.

"The big issue that we have at the moment is Uber. They're a worldwide cancer. They're hitting every country in the world and they're taking away earnings from people like you that are trying to make a quid and keep your family fed."

Picture: The West Australian/Gareth Parker

Drivers presented a petition to shadow transport minister Ken Travers after the Minister, Dean Nalder, failed to front the crowd.

Drivers were told Mr Nalder was in a meeting until 4pm. They threatened not to leave Parliament until he appeared.

"There is not a level playing field in WA between taxis and Uber, which the Government themselves have said is an illegal service," Mr Travers said.

"It has been over 12 months that the Government has known that Uber is coming and operating in WA and to this day they still have not acted on their own legislation.

"The law is the law and should be applied. If the Government believes the law needs to be changed, then bring that legislation in. But before they do that they should be having a conversation with all the stakeholders."

Earlier today, Premier Colin Barnett gave his strongest hint the Government intended to deregulate the industry.

"The world's changing and I think people do want choice in taxi services," he said.

"There's quite a cantankerous issue about that but people choose different forms of transport and as long as it's safe, reliable and well managed we will be supporting them in that choice."

Picture: The West Australian/Bill Hatto

The Department of Transport has charged one UberX driver with operating a vehicle as a taxi within a control area without taxi plates.