Commission Quarterly
February 2014
Welcome from theCommissioners
Welcome to 2014 and the second edition of theCommission Quarterly. There is a lot occurringbehind the scenes as the Taxi Services Commissioncontinues working with the industry to implementthe government endorsed reforms.
Changes are happening very quickly and to ensureyou’re kept up to date, we’ll present the latest onthe reforms through this publication.A lot of these changes will occur over the next sixmonths. Many concern the structure and operationof the industry. But all are designed to result inmore choices and better service for the community.
We continue to monitor the public’s level of satisfactionwith the taxi industry and our latest report includessome excellent results. Satisfaction with taxidrivers is the highest since we began our survey in2005. Passengers’ sense of safety has improved,underpinned by improved maintenance and conditionsof taxis. And overall satisfaction has remained steady.These are fantastic results that we know can still beimproved upon.
We’re excited about the changes taking place, to bringyou a more innovative and competitive taxi and hirecar industry.We look forward to continuing working with you nowand into the future.
Douglas Shirrefs
Graeme Samuel
Merran Kelsal
Reform program update
The Commission continues to work on a range of reforms, to be rolled out in 2014.
The knowledge
The new Knowledge test for drivers is being finalised. The test will be administered independently of the industry. Passengers will benefit from improved driver standards as the impacts of the new testing regime take effect. A pilot program to assess the new questions will be run in late February. The new guidelines for the test and sample questions will be available on our website shortly after.
Fare review
Fare structures in Victoria are under review. The Essential Services Commission has now completed its consultation with both the community and industry. The new fare structure is scheduled to be announced in March and implemented during May 2014.
Zones
We are conducting extensive consultation into the proposed new zoning system. This is an opportunity for people to have their say on issues that affect the places they live and work in and find out how the industry will change in their area.
Reform achievements
Hire cars
On 9 December 2013, the first hire car reform took effect. This included adjusted licence conditions and classifications, allowing for greater competition and consumer choice. Formerly, hire cars were luxury, high-end vehicles. The reform has now expanded these criteria to allow safety compliant, non-luxury vehicles to operate in the hire car market. In addition, the hire car reform allows licences for metropolitan and country hire cars to be issued for a one off payment of $40,000 or $20,000 respectively.
Electronic payment surcharge
The second accomplishment and first big win for passengers in 2014 is the reduction in surcharge on electronic taxi fare payments. From 1 February, the 10% (ex.GST) electronic payment surcharge was reduced to 5% (inc.GST). This represents a significant saving for passengers, formerly penalised for using an electronic method of payment. We are excited by our early achievements and inspired by the collaboration and cooperation of our colleagues and industry partners to deliver these significant reforms that benefit both taxi operators and customers.
New ways to communicate with passengers and drivers
As the Taxi Industry is coming into the 21st century, we’re adopting innovative technology to enhance the customer experience.One of our new communication tools is the incorporation of QRcode technology inside taxis and on printed brochures and flyers.A QR or ‘Quick Response’ code is a barcode which is scannedwith a smartphone and directs to the most up to dateinformation on our website. Our QR code takes passengersto reform and rights information, and in addition, a farecalculator to help the customer budget for their trip.
Need more information?
www.taxi.vic.gov.au
1800 638 802 (toll free)
TTY/Voice users1800 555 677
Speak and listen users1800 555 727
Disclaimer
The taxi and hire car reform is complex and constantly evolving.While every effort has been made to ensure the information in theCommission Quarterly is as up to date and as accurate as possible atthe time of publication, the currency and accuracy of the informationprovided cannot be guaranteed. The information contained in theCommission Quarterly is a summary only and should not be reliedon as a substitute for legal or other professional advice. Readersare advised to obtain independent legal or other professional advicerelevant to their particular circumstances.
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