NSW TAXI COUNCIL WELCOMES WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE TAXI "$15 MILLION FUNDING" AS A POSITIVE STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

The NSW Taxi Council welcomes the announcement by the NSW Government of a “ $15 Million Funding Package” supporting Wheelchair Accessible Taxis in NSW as a positive step in the right direction to help improve services across NSW.

There are 625 Registered Wheelchair Taxis in NSW, with an estimated 450 operating in Sydney alone. The number of Wheelchair Taxis operating has declined by over 30% since the Covid pandemic hit. Unfortunately, this has had a significant impact on the availability of Wheelchair Taxis for passengers using a wheelchair as well as extended wait times with passenger pick up.

NSW Taxi Council CEO, Nick Abrahim said, “The NSW Taxi Industry plays a vital role in transporting passengers using a wheelchair and we are totally committed to working with the Disability Community and the NSW Government towards improving those services. The Announcement today by the NSW Government will go some way towards helping improve these services, by increasing incentives for more Drivers to enter this space, as well as incentivising Operators to meet the high costs of putting on a Wheelchair Taxi and help with the cost to maintain the vehicles“.

The Funding Package announced by the NSW Government includes;

Up to $12 million for the WATDIS. These funds will increase the current WATDIS standard rate from $15 to a standard day rate of $25 and introduce:
- a new night rate of an additional 20% on top of the standard day rate for trips taken between 10pm and 6am excluding public holidays; and
- a new public holiday flat rate of $50 to apply on the 11 public holidays stated in the Public Holidays Act 2010; and
- the new WATDIS rates will come into effect from March 2025

New funding of $750,000 to support the improvement of the training provided to WAT drivers. The training will be developed in consultation with people with disability and will address improved customer outcomes and safety. People with disability will also be involved in supporting the delivery of training. Refresher courses will also be developed.

Increase of $5 million to the WAT Interest Free Loan Scheme. The maximum loan value will be increased to $125,000.

Up to $2.25 million to establish a new grant program that will assist with the costs associated with modifying and operating a WAT. A proportion of these funds will be targeted to regional areas where the decline in the availability of WAT services has been significant.

The Commissioner will work with the centralised booking service and taxi service providers to ensure complaints are properly managed and appropriate action is taken.

Reporting will be improved and monitored by Government to ensure that the integrity of these commitments are maintained and actions are delivered in a timely and effective manner.

The NSW Taxi Council has been working extensively with the NSW Government over the past year and a half. This included a letter developed by the NSW Taxi Council addressed to the NSW Transport Minister back in June 2023. The letter was co signed by the Heads of a number of Disability Organisations, who are Members of the NSW Taxi Council’s “Disability Reference Group”. This led to a series of Roundtable Consultations as well as a meeting held with three Minister’s – Minister Haylen, Minister Aitchison and Minister Washington, in June 2024. Once the Roundtable sessions wrapped up, a Report was released in October 2024 with key findings and recommendations for the NSW Government to consider.

The NSW Taxi Council, in partnership with a number of Disability Reference Group Members with lived experiences, recently convened a meeting with the NSW Treasurer, to advocate and request for funding support from the NSW Government. The Disability advocates included representatives from the Physical Disability Council NSW, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and Spinal Cord Injuries Australia.

Nick added, “We are grateful for the commitment and efforts of all three Ministers - Haylen, Aitchison and Washington, working towards achieving better transport outcomes for people using a wheelchair. Whilst this is a great starting point, we do acknowledge that more work needs to be done to ensure the longer term viability of Wheelchair Accessible Taxis continue, and we look forward to continuing to build on this with all key stakeholders involved.

For more information, please visit the Transport for NSW website.

NSW TAXI COUNCIL CHRISTMAS CLOSURE

NSW Taxi Council office would like to remind you of our Christmas closure dates.

Our office will be closed from Monday 23rd December 2024 and will reopen on Monday 6th January 2025.

During this time, new and renewing driver applications can continue to be submitted, however they will not be verified and ID cards will not be printed.

If your ID card is due to expire within the next 6–8 weeks, we strongly encourage you to complete your driver renewal application now to avoid any delays.

Please note that ID cards will not be printed or sent during the closure period, with the last day for ID card printing being Thursday, 19th December 2024.

The board and staff at Taxis NSW would like to wish you all a safe and prosperous Christmas and New Year.

NSW TAXI INDUSTRY STATE CONFERENCE 2025

16 March - 17 March 2025

Novotel Sydney West HQ - Rooty Hill RSL

55 Sherbrooke St, Rooty Hill NSW 2766, Australia

The NSW Taxi Industry State Conference has long served as a vital event for NSW Taxi Industry stakeholders.

This year, the 2025 Conference embraces the theme "Stronger Together", which underscores the power of unity and collaboration, emphasising how working together strengthens our industry’s adaptability and resilience in a rapidly changing landscape.

The conference will feature interactive workshops, insightful discussions, and ample networking opportunities. So if you are a Network, Operator, Driver and Industry Supplier/Partner, this is your chance to be part of the only annual NSW Taxi Industry event and play a role in shaping our future.

Early Bird rates are now available for a limited time so don’t miss the opportunity to secure your spot at a discounted price.

Join us on 16th & 17th March 2025 for two days dedicated to unity and growth.

Registrations are now open on our website via the link below and we strongly recommend you register as soon as possible.

If you are a member of the NSW Taxi Council don’t forget there is a member discount code in an email sent by the Taxis NSW office.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the 2025 NSW Taxi Industry State Conference.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW

SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA APPROVES THE $271.8 MILLION SETTLEMENT IN THE UBER CLASS ACTION

On Monday 2nd December 2024, the Trial Division of the Supreme Court (Matthews J) made orders approving the settlement of the group proceedings brought by Nicos Andrianakis and Jamal Salem on behalf of participants in the taxi and hire car industries against seven companies in the Uber group of companies.

The Court found that the settlement is fair and reasonable and in the interests of group members, and has approved it. In doing so, the Court took into account submissions by the plaintiffs’ Counsel, the Court-appointed contradictor (independent Counsel), and by Counsel for the litigation funder, Harbour Fund III, L.P, as well as the objections made by some group members and evidence filed on behalf of the plaintiffs and Harbour.

The Court also made orders for deduction of the below amounts from the settlement sum of $271,800,000:

$38,698,628.81 to Maurice Blackburn for legal costs and disbursements (including an uplift fee);
$81,540,000 (approximately 30% of the settlement sum) to Harbour as its funding commission ; and
a total of $220,000 to the plaintiffs and sample group members, as compensation for the work undertaken by them in the proceedings.

The Court has appointed Maurice Blackburn to administer the settlement distribution scheme, which will see the claims of registered group members assessed and processed. Regular reports to the Court as to the implementation of the settlement distribution scheme will be required. The costs of administering the settlement distribution scheme will also come out of the settlement amount and will be monitored by the Court.

For further information, including a copy of the decision and a summary of the decision, please refer to the Supreme Court Victoria website by clicking the following link:

https://www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au/areas/case-summaries/judgments/andrianakis-v-uber-technologies-inc-and-others

Maurice Blackburn have advised that they will be in touch with people shortly.

Please do not contact the NSW Taxi Council office. We will continue to update Members with any further information we receive.

NSW TAXI COUNCIL WELCOMES REVIEW BY IPART INTO MAXIMUM FARES FOR RANK AND HAIL TAXI SERVICES FROM 1 JULY 2025

Transport for NSW sets the maximum fares for rank and hail taxi services that operate in NSW. Fares for booked services (including booked taxi services) are not regulated, other than trips using the Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme.

The Minister for Transport has asked IPART to investigate and make recommendations on the maximum fares for rank and hail taxi services to apply from 1 July 2025.

The terms of reference for the review is now available on the IPART website. An issues paper calling for submissions is expected to be available by the end of August. The NSW Taxi Council will send out further updates.

For more information, please CLICK HERE.