People with disabilities will soon be able to book a Wheelchair Accessible Taxi (WAT) in the Sydney Metropolitan Area in NSW using the Centralised Booking Service of Spinal Cord Injuries Australia (SCIA) – a company that supports people living with disabilities. The centralised booking service will commence from 1 March 2021.

Transport for NSW, after a thorough evaluation awarded the central booking service contract to SCIA, as it was seen as the most innovative and best value for money booking service provider for WATs in metropolitan Sydney.

With a cash injection of $3m from private investors led by Managing Director Greg Webb, Black & White Cabs has announced a campaign to recruit more drivers as it prepares to service new Government contracts and launch a new food delivery service.

The growth plan comes after a group of private investors successfully purchased Black & White Cabs last month from the troubled P2P Transport through a Deed of Company Arrangement.
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Black & White Cabs Managing Director Greg Webb, who leads the group of private investors, said they planned to expand their network of 3,000-plus drivers across all of its locations in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Western Australia.

I have been reporting on this industry for over 30 years and it never ceases to amaze me how every State (and Territory) in Australia does things slightly, and sometimes majorly, different from the others.

Just this year alone, the Victorian government has seen fit to grant Uber the right to transport our most vulnerable citizens – those who are MPTP (TSS) cardholders. Victoria is the only Australian State to do this. Moreover, it is the only place in the world where this has been done!

In New South Wales, the NSW Taxi Council has started up a Disability Reference Group where industry stakeholders will come together, discuss and network with the NSW taxi industry and disability sector. This will help foster a more collaborative and consultative relationship with all stakeholders.

Transport Alliance Australia represented the industry at the discussions with the Australian Open committee planning meetings.

We have collected all the relevant information for Taxis, Hire Cars & Rideshare operations for Australian Open 2021.

Taxi

The taxi rank is located on the north side of Olympic Boulevard between the Rod Laver Arena Loading Dock and Grand Slam Oval Entrance.

As part of the Swan Street Bridge upgrade works, the carriageway along Olympic Boulevard has been upgraded to include two eastbound lanes to the east of Batman Avenue. 

Early this week Rod Barton MP was successful in raising a motion requesting that the CPVV hand over documents showing the rationale, evidence and results from Uber’s Multi-Purpose Taxi Program (MPTP) trial.

The MPTP supports individuals with severe and permanent disabilities by offering subsided taxi fares to eligible members. The welfare and security of our most vulnerable citizens is at risk if Uber has access to this work under the MPTP scheme.

The CPVV undertook a trial of the MPTP scheme with Uber in Geelong from 22 March to 31 May 2020 – at the start of Victoria's COVID-19 lockdown.

The subsequent results of the government orchestrated trial, where they judged Uber's services, are BASED ON 170 TRIPS conducted during this period.

This works out to be a sample size of LESS THAN 0.15% of the average MPTP trips during October and November 2020 - not 5%, not 10%, not 20%, but LESS THAN 0.15%.  How is this data sufficient to make a judgement call?

And if you look at July 2019-June 2020 figures, the CPVV reports that 4.7 MILLION MPTP TRIPS were undertaken in that 12 month period.

​The Victorian Regulator (CPVV) has announced that it has PARTNERED with Uber and is allowing Uber to participate in the MPTP system – the subsidy scheme that allows people with a severe or permanent disability to get a 50% subsidy when travelling in taxis.  How ridiculous!!

There are so many things wrong with this.  Minister for Public Transport, Ben Carroll, how can you condone this action?  How can you allow the Regulator to decimate the taxi industry?

Wasn’t it bad enough that the Victorian government allowed Uber to operate illegally for 3 years and infiltrate the Victorian taxi and hire car industry?  But now you have hit them in the guts again.