Pre-reform: setting the scene
The On-demand transport industry reform commenced in WA in December 2015. The Green Paper: On-demand Transport Reform – Discussion paper for future innovation was released for public comment, with a wide range of responses received from industry and the public.
Feedback from the consultation informed the development of significant legislation that focused on safety and flexibility of service for the customer, with the Transport (Road Passenger Services) Act 2018 passing Parliament in October 2018.
Transcript
[Text on screen: WA's taxi and on-demand transport industry is changing. Transport WA.]
[Sound: Music playing in the background throughout.]
[Visual: An animated clip showing three people waiting at a taxi rank. Perth city buildings are silhouetted in the background. The people get in pink taxi.]
Narrator: WA’s taxi and on-demand transport industry is changing for the better.
[Visual: Another person is waiting further along the road and is picked up by a purple on-demand vehicle. They pass a person in a wheelchair getting into a taxi van.]
Narrator: New laws will strengthen safety standards for all types of vehicles, including taxis, charter vehicles and other on-demand services.
[Visual: A variety of taxis, charter vehicles and other on-demand services are driving along the road.]
Narrator: As a customer, this means you’ll have more choice and easier access to safer, modern services.
[Visual: A mobile phone showing the words ‘Pay’.]
[Text on a pale blue screen: Government of Western Australia Department of Transport.
For more information, visit transport.wa.gov.au]
Narrator: For more information, visit transport.wa.gov.au
[Visual: The pink taxi has parked, and the people are getting out.]
Narrator: Authorised by the State Government, Perth.
End of Transcript
Stage 1: On-demand booking services – February 2019
- Implementation of the Transport (Road Passenger Services) Act 2018 (the Act) commenced on 28 February 2019 with applications for on-demand booking service (ODBS) authorisation opening. Anyone taking or facilitating bookings for on-demand trips were required to be authorised, or have an association arrangement, by 1 April 2019.
- New safety obligations for all booking service, driver and vehicle operators came into effect.
- The On-demand Passenger Transport Levy commenced on 1 April 2019.
- The Voluntary Taxi Plate Buyback Payment Scheme application process commenced. In July 2019, eligible plate owners and former owners received their buyback payments. Plate owners were offered a minimum amount for each plate owned, before deductions of any previous financial assistance paid and outstanding fees. The minimum buyback amounts were:
- Perth metropolitan Conventional or Multi-Purpose taxi plate: $100,000.
- Perth metropolitan Area Restricted plates: $40,000.
- Perth metropolitan Peak Period plates: $28,000.
- The Country Taxi Camera Grant was offered to country taxi-car licence holders as a contribution towards the purchase and installation of security cameras. Payments of $500 per licence were made in June 2019.
Stage 2: Passenger Transport Vehicles – July 2019
- Passenger transport vehicle authorisations commenced on 2 July 2019. Passenger transport vehicle authorisations replaced taxi plates, country taxi-car, regular passenger transport omnibus and charter vehicle licences. The PTV authorisation is a single authorisation with four categories of service:
- On-demand rank or hail (OD-RH) (taxi);
- On-demand charter (OD-C);
- Tourism passenger transport (TPT); and
- Regular passenger transport (RPT).
- Restrictions on where and when taxis could operate were lifted with taxis being able to operate statewide. This allows a simpler environment in which to provide innovative services.
- The Regional Taxi Transition Support Package was opened to eligible country taxi-car licence holders to assist them to meet requirements under the new legislation. Payments of up to $10,000 per licence were offered, capped at 10 licences or $100,000. ODBS and PTV authorisation fees are also waived for existing regional operators for three years. Payments were made in October 2019.
- Regular passenger transport (RPT) service providers were required to apply for a new five year authorisation from 2 July 2019 for their existing RPT routes and timetabled services.
Stage 3: Passenger transport drivers – July 2020
- The Transport (Road Passenger Services) Regulations 2020 commenced on 1 July 2020. These superseded the 2019 Regulations, providing for the introduction of PTD authorisations and tightening of regulations including passenger transport vehicle equipment, association arrangements and record keeping requirements.
- On 1 July 2020, passenger transport driver (PTD) authorisations were introduced. These replaced F and T driver’s licence extensions that permitted someone to drive for hire or reward. PTD authorisations must be renewed every year – F and T extensions were issued with no expiry date and remained valid indefinitely, provided that the holder continued to meet fit and proper requirements. There was a 12 month transition period for existing F and T extension holders to obtain a PTD authorisation.
- A second assistance package for previous country taxi-car (CT) licence holders was also administered in July 2020. The Regional Taxi Assistance Package calculated payments for regional operators based on CT licence purchase value and estimated monopoly profits. A payment for each eligible CT licence was made, with a cap of five payments to any one individual, partnership, trust, corporation or registered cooperative that held multiple CT licences.
- On 18 June 2021, the Regulations were amended to further support the passenger transport industry. The changes allowed F and T extension holders who had applied for a PTD authorisation by 11.59pm, Wednesday 30 June 2021, to continue driving for hire or reward until their application was finalised, or Monday 31 January 2022 (whichever is first). F and T extension holders who did not meet this deadline had their F or T extension ceased.
- Regulations were also amended to:
- clarify that drivers providing community transport services as unpaid volunteers do not need a PTD authorisation (community transport drivers who receive payment/other reward may still require authorisation);
- increase the maximum metered fares for rank or hail (taxi) services by around 6.5 per cent from 1 July 2021; and
- update the prescribed amount for hire or reward to 72 cents per kilometre (previously 68 cents per kilometre), to align with the Australian Taxation Office’s claimable amount per kilometre for vehicle use for 2020-2021.
Transcript
[Text on screen: Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure logo. Learn about passenger transport authorisations. Transport WA.
Passenger Transport Driver Authorisation]
[Sound: Music playing in the background throughout.]
[Visual: Traffic including a taxi and a bus, cutting to a DTMI Officer talking to camera.]
DTMI Officer: A new authorisation is now required for anyone transporting passengers as part of their paid or volunteer work.
[Visual: A row of taxis, cutting to a Swan Taxi driver talking to camera, and then driving a taxi.]
[Text on screen: PTD = Passenger Transport Driver.]
Swan Taxi driver: The PTD or passenger transport driver authorisation started replacing the old F and T licence extension on the 1st of July 2020.
[DTMI Officer talking to camera.]
DTMI Officer: It’s basically a new industry licence to make things simpler and safer for people working in passenger transport and their customers.
[Visual: A TransWA driver talking to camera and then driving the large coach.]
TransWA driver: If you are thinking of becoming a coach driver, you now need to apply for a PTD authorisation. You also need a PTD authorisation for other jobs that involve driving passengers including bus drivers, taxi drivers, limousine drivers, rideshare drivers and people who drive tourist vehicles.
[Visual: A Perth Maxi Charter bus. The driver talking to camera and then driving the charter bus.]
[Text on screen: You need a PTD authorisation by 30 June 2021.]
Perth Maxi Charter bus driver: If you already have an F or T driver’s licence extension it will remain valid until 30th of June 2021.
You need to make sure you’ve applied for and been granted your PTD authorisation by the 30th of June 2021, that is if you want to continue driving passengers.
[Visual: A person using a mobile phone, cutting to a view of them scrolling through their DoTDirect account.]
Swan Taxi driver: Applying for your PTD authorisation online is easy through your DoTDirect account.
[Text on screen: Apply online. You need a national police clearance and a current commercial medical.]
[Visual: Swan Taxi driver talking to camera.]
Swan Taxi driver: Just have your national police clearance and an up-to-date commercial medical assessment ready when you go to log in.
[Visual: DTMI Officer talking to camera.]
DTMI Officer: A safer simpler solution.
[Text on a blue screen: The Government of Western Australia Department of Transport logo. www.transport.wa.gov.au/PTDhome ]
Reform close out: 2022
- The WA Government ended the On-demand Passenger Transport Levy (the Levy) on Wednesday 1 June 2022. The Levy, which began on 1 April 2019, was established to recover the costs of the $120 million Taxi Plate Buyback Scheme. A further $9 million was added to this amount in April 2020 as part of COVID-19 relief measures.