If you drive a taxi or hire out your vehicle for rideshare, you need to know the new rules coming into effect in NSW from 1 November 2017.
New rules
The NSW government just published the final Point to Point Transport (Taxis and Hire Vehicles) Regulation 2017. It sets out new requirements for providers of point to point services, such as taxis and hire cars, and what kind of service customers can expect.
The first big change is an upfront fare estimate. Customers can expect an upfront fare estimate when they book a taxi, hire car or rideshare vehicle. The estimate can be based on time, distance, a combination or other set amount.
There is also a big focus on safety. Until recently, providers of rideshare have not had to meet the same safety standards as drivers of taxis. Customers can now expect certain levels of safety when they hire rideshare vehicles.
Industry assistance
The government recognises this is a big shift in the industry for traditional taxi owners and drivers. It will offer an industry assistance package of $250 million to help them through the transition period.
Customers who use point to point vehicles will pay a temporary levy of $1 per trip for up to 5 years, starting from 1 February 2018.
Barbara Wise, the new Point to Point Commissioner, is travelling around NSW for a month to speak about these changes at forums to people in the industry. These forums are free and began in Tweed Heads on 22 August, finishing in Penrith on 21 September.
More information
To find out more, see our helpful blog, New rules for taxis and cars for hire.
There is also plenty of information on the Transport for NSW site,