What are passenger transport vehicles?

Passenger transport vehicles (PTVs) are vehicles used or intended to be used in providing a passenger transport service. This is the transport of passengers for hire or reward, including on-demand, tourism and regular passenger transport services.

Anyone can apply for a PTV authorisation and there are no limits to when and where they can operate or how many authorisations someone can hold.

Vehicles with a PTV authorisation can operate for multiple on-demand booking services as long as certain authorisation requirements are met (for example, appropriate signage and equipment).

A PTV authorisation is an authorisation to operate a vehicle to provide a passenger transport service. There are four categories of PTV authorisation: 

• On-demand rank or hail (OD-RH) = a PTV authorisation of the on-demand rank or hail category.
  Vehicles with a PTV authorisation OD-RH can ply or tout for hire on a road or in another place accessible to the public. This means they can offer trips to people on the side of the road or within a public space.
   
• On-demand charter (OD-C) = a PTV authorisation of the on-demand charter category.
  Vehicles with a PTV authorisation OD-C can take on-demand trips that do not include a rank or hail service (i.e. charter trips). They must only take pre-booked work.
   
• Regular passenger transport (RPT) = a PTV authorisation of the regular passenger transport category.
  The transport of passengers for hire and reward that is conducted according to regular routes and timetables.
   
• Tourism passenger transport (TPT) = a PTV authorisation of the tourism passenger transport category.
  The transport of passengers (tourists) for hire or reward to destinations listed on a publicly available tour itinerary, for the purposes of tourism.

A PTV authorisation can be issued for one or more categories – there is no cost to add extra categories. OD-RH and OD-C cannot be chosen together – having an OD-RH category authorises you to do charter work as well, however an OD-C category does not authorise you to do rank or hail/taxi work as there are different requirements for these vehicles.

A key feature of the PTV authorisation is that it is available for multiple periods – 1, 3, 6 and 12 months – to cater for demand due to seasonality or special events.  Note that one-month PTV authorisations cannot be renewed – these authorisations are offered for when a temporary or replacement vehicle is required.

A PTV authorisation can only be granted to a vehicle with"

• a valid registration;
• a passed roadworthiness inspection; and
• the correct Motor Injury Insurance (MII) class.

Visit How to apply for PTV authorisation for full details on how to apply.

Who can hold a PTV authorisation?

Anyone can apply for a PTV authorisation and there are no limits to when and where they can operate, or how many authorisations someone can hold.

PTV authorisations need to be linked to a vehicle. The person who is granted the PTV authorisation should therefore be the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the vehicle – either the vehicle’s registered owner or someone to whom the vehicle owner has given their consent.

For this reason, the PTV authorisation cannot be granted in the name of a partnership or trust; it must be granted to an individual person or body corporate.

PTV OD-C (charter)

• To operate as an authorised PTV in the on-demand charter category, the vehicle must have: 
  • prominent livery; or
  • a sign in the left of the rear window (or on the vehicle and visible from the rear) that indicates the on-demand booking service (ODBS) the vehicle is operating under; and
  • interior signage to advise customers that a camera surveillance unit (CSU) is installed, if applicable.
• The vehicle cannot be marked using the word “taxi” in a misleading way.
• Drivers of OD-C PTVs must make their driver ID document visible to the hirer at the time of booking, or display it in the vehicle/on person.
  • Note: a driver ID document is not a driver’s licence. For drivers of OD-C PTVs, the driver ID document must contain a photograph of the driver and their first name. These requirements may already be met, for example by driver profiles displayed to customers by app-based booking services.

Read the Passenger Transport Vehicles: on-demand charter fact sheet below for more details.

PTV OD-RH (taxi)

• To operate as an authorised PTV in the on-demand rank or hail category, the vehicle must have: 
  • a working fare calculation device (meter) that has been installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions;
  • roof light and roof sign that are clearly visible in daylight;
  • external livery; 
  • a camera surveillance unit and signage on the inside and outside of the vehicle advising passengers that a camera is installed, that meets the required standards; and
  • taxi plates affixed.
• New PTV OD-RH authorisations will be issued with taxi plates. The PTV authorisation holder must also declare that they undertake to attach raised lettering upon receipt of the taxi plate.
• Taxi vehicle interiors must display the ODBS: 
  • authorisation number/s
  • contact information; and
  • fare schedule.
• Drivers of OD-RH PTVs must display their driver ID document and ensure it is visible to all passengers in vehicle.
  • Note: a driver ID document is not a driver’s licence. For drivers of OD-RH PTVs, the driver ID document must contain a photograph of the driver, their first name and their driver ID number. Existing taxi driver ID cards meet these requirements.

Read the Passenger Transport Vehicles: on-demand rank or hail fact sheet below for more details.

For further information, visit PTV equipment and modifications.

PTV TPT and RPT

• There is no specific equipment or markings that a vehicle authorised as a PTV in the TPT or RPT categories requires. 
• A vehicle authorised as a PTV in the RPT category must be associated with an authorised RPT service provider. 

A chain of accountability framework applies for the passenger transport industry in WA. The Act defines roles for those involved in each level of the industry and sets out their obligations and responsibilities, particularly in relation to the health and safety of passengers, drivers and the public. 

Providers of PTVs, whether they own one vehicle, or an entire fleet, have a safety duty to ensure the vehicles are safe and will not cause injury or harm to anyone.

A provider of a PTV may be:

• a PTV authorisation holder; or
• the owner of the vehicle that the PTV authorisation is attached to.

Officers of PTV providers also have safety duties. These are people who have the capacity to make decisions related to the provision of PTVs, whose role it is to ensure that the PTV provider complies with their safety duty.

For further information about safety duties, visit the Safety for industry page.

The DoT considers your proposed business arrangements for its own purposes. If you make arrangements and they cause you to lose money, that is a matter for you; DoT is not liable. DoT therefore suggests that you take care when making your arrangements. In particular choose your business associates with care.

Motor Injury Insurance (MII)

Motor Injury Insurance (MII) is an expanded insurance cover, that provides treatment, care and support if you are catastrophically injured in a vehicle crash, irrespective of whether another driver is found at fault in the crash.

Any vehicle used to carry passengers for hire and reward must have the correct class of MII recorded against its registration. This is defined by the Insurance Commission of Western Australia (ICWA).

The MII class will be automatically adjusted to reflect your vehicle size and type of passenger transport service as part of the PTV application.

If the PTV application is for a vehicle that is owned by another party, the registered owner of the vehicle must attend a Driver and Vehicle Services Centre with a completed Declaration of Motor Injury Insurance Class (Form E67) to change the MII class to the appropriate hire or reward category. This must be done before you can successfully apply for the PTV authorisation.

Important note: If you wish to have insurance cover for the cost of damage to vehicles and property, you need to have separate vehicle insurance with a private insurance company.

Visit the Motor Injury Insurance page for further details.