John, 75, wanted a taxi outside Sydney airport to take him 1.5km to his hotel. Drivers refused

Taxi drivers to face higher penalties for refusing jobs as NSW commissioner says all passengers have right to hire taxi regardless of length of trip

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John Heron's four-hour flight from Perth landed in Sydney on Tuesday, just before 10.30pm. The 75-year-old had booked a nearby hotel, about 1.5km away, to spend the night after the late arrival.

Heron grabbed his bag, left the airport and wandered over to the taxi rank across from the Virgin Australia terminal about half an hour later. A worker at the rank directed him to a taxi waiting in a bay. But Heron said the cab refused his fare because the trip was too short.