Transport Alliance Australia (TAA) held a free Operators' Forum last month and its keynote speaker was Bill Faeth. Bill teaches entrepreneurs, business owners and high performance leaders how to build and scale profitable businesses without sacrificing family.

At the TAA Operator's Forum, Bill highlighted the fact that we need to keep in touch with our clients. He even suggested that we should call our top 20 clients this week and ask them how they are doing. How they are coping and offer to help them in any way possible. It is this phone call that will be remembered post COVID-19, and it just might be for your betterment. ​

COVID-19 Passengers should travel in WAV or HOV

"There are quite a number of Victorian taxi and ride share drivers who are feeling frightened/put in danger, by transporting passengers in the front seat of the vehicle and also those who are going to a COVID testing station.

I think that Victorian passengers should not be allowed to travel in the front seat of a taxi or rideshare - just like it is in many other Australian states.

Also if there are more than 2 passengers travelling
in the taxi - then they should travel in a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) or High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV). This way social distancing can be maintained...
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Common car touch points must be cleaned with minimum 70% isopropyl alcohol.

The common car touch points include:

• Key/remote and/or Engine start button
• Door handle(s) and boot handle
• Boot release (internal)
• Seat adjustment controls (and seat memory buttons)
• Rearview mirror and side mirror controls

Despite less road traffic, you must remember to be careful and drive safely.

Motorists should not treat the noticeable reduction in traffic because of COVID-19 restrictions as a green light to speed, drive under the influence or flout other important road safety laws, a leading personal injuries lawyer has warned.

Canda Glanville, a Principal at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, said too many lives were still being lost on Victorian roads despite fewer people getting behind the wheel since restrictions were brought in to help slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Many taxi, hire car and limo drivers are sole traders and are therefore eligible to apply for JobKeeper payments.

Sole traders must have had an ABN on or before March 12, 2020, and have been “actively engaged” in their business.

You will need to provide your ABN and then nominate an ’employee’ (that’s you - the sole trader) to receive the payment, together with your Tax File Number (TFN).

Sole traders must also have included assessable income from their business in their 2018- 19 tax return and lodged taxable supplies between July 1, 2018 and March 12, 2020. This is to ensure an applicant has been operating their business.

VICTORIA

In Victoria, Good Friday is a restricted trading day, which means only exempt businesses can open. 

Exempt shops are those with 20 or fewer staff members employed in their shop, or 100 or fewer people employed across the entire business. There are certain types of businesses that are also exempt, and can therefore trade, including chemists, petrol shops, restaurants, cafes, takeaway outlets, service providers and hire outlets.

Victoria also observes public holidays on Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, however, there are only trading restrictions in place for Good Friday.