The cabbie who shook-up the NSW taxi industry

A Victorian Company called Keatsdale was employed to do a report. This report recommended cameras in taxis, screens and GPS satellite tracking. When the State Government refused to release the Keatsdale Report, Faruque and another driver filed a freedom of information action against the Department of Motor Transport. Within hours, the Taxi Council, the TWU and the State Government were all appearing on the evening news declaring they would implement a new safety package for the industry.

Faruque was at the forefront of campaigns by taxi drivers, especially after they formed break away associations from the TWU. Under Secretary-Treasurer Steve Hutchens, who had a dual role as President of the ALP, the TWU was seen as too closely aligned to NSW State Labor Governments and to Reg Kermode's Taxi Council-TIA.

The various cabbie breakaway "associations" like the "Taxi Industry Service Association" and "Taxi Drivers Association" achieved success on individual issues, possibly most notably in the 2006 ACCC case against Cabcharge and the more recent "Nexus plates" scandal.

Apart from his taxi driver activism Faruque Ahmed was known throughout Sydney for his provocative stands on Middle East politics (Iraq War and Palestine) and the media coverage of Muslim and Arabic affairs. He was a regular contributor to late night radio talk back in Sydney. His depth of knowledge, accent and provocative style constantly got him into trouble with individual shock-jocks. He made constant complaints -alleging racism and religious intolerance - against many programmers. On one occasion he was arraigned in the Administrative Appeals Court with six barristers defending the Macquarie Network over allegations of racial vilification. Although he lost the case, the Network was ordered to pay their own extensive legal costs.

Above all else Faruque Ahmed was a humanitarian who has been described "as always working to help others, never in it for money. He died poor". Senator-elect Lee Rhiannon described him as "always active and doing good work".

A memorial event to commemorate his life's work will be organised by the Sydney Bangladesh community shortly.

Faruque Ahmed (Born Sylhet, Bangladesh 25/02/1959, Died, RPA Hospital Sydney 24/12/2010)