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Taxi Industry Reform Package

In July 2009 the Minister for Transport announced a range of reforms designed to improve passenger safety and service standards in Queensland’s taxi industry. The Taxi Industry Reform Package was developed following feedback received from the public through the Taxi Complaints Hotline, submissions from industry and drivers, the results of targeted compliance and mystery shopper campaigns and a comparison of interstate standards.

The Taxi Driver Standards Reform information paper (PDF, 304 KB) identifies a range of policy and legislative responses to be implemented to address these concerns.

Since that time, the Department of Transport and Main Roads has been working towards implementing the Taxi Industry Reform Package:

Driver authority eligibility criteria

  • Additional licence requirement – Legislation given effect from 1 November 2009, introduced a requirement on all applicants for taxi driver authorisation to have held a driver licence (other than a learner licence) issued in Australia for at least 12 months. This is in addition to the existing requirement that a person hold an open Australian driver licence.
  • Minimum age requirement – Legislation given effect from 1 November 2009 also introduced a minimum age of 20 years for taxi drivers. This is consistent with the minimum age at which a person who first obtained their licence in Australia would be eligible to apply for a taxi driver authorisation.
  • English assessment – As of 1 November 2010, new applicants for taxi driver authorisation are required to undertake an English assessment in accordance with the National Minimum English Standard (NMES), delivered by an accredited assessor. For further information on the English assessment process, see our FAQs (PDF, 553 KB) and Information update – February 2012 (PDF, 310 KB).

National training standards

  • National Training Framework – As of January 2011, Queensland introduced the national training framework and taxi driver training core competencies that have been developed through the Transport and Logistics Industry Skills Council.   
  • Training delivered by Registered Training Organisations – New applicants for taxi driver authorisation who will be driving in major contracted areas (where the fleet size is 35 or more) are required to undertake this training that must be delivered by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). For details see Information for Registered Training Organisations (PDF, 50 KB). For further information on taxi driver training requirements, see our FAQs (PDF, 130 KB) and Information update – February 2012 (PDF, 310 KB).
  • Refresher training – Queensland will seek inter-jurisdictional commitment to develop a national position on refresher training/ongoing professional development for taxi drivers to complement the national training package. If there is limited support at a national level for this project, Queensland will examine the issue independently with the taxi industry.

Industry compliance

  • Taxi Compliance Unit – The Department of Transport and Main Roads has allocated additional resources to the taxi compliance task. The Taxi Compliance Unit has been established to raise standards of compliance within the taxi industry through targeted enforcement campaigns. It also undertakes targeted activities to protect the taxi market from illegal operators.
  • Community perceptions – Information about community perceptions of taxi standards continues to be gathered through the Taxi Hotline, annual mystery shopper campaigns and quarterly customer satisfaction surveys.

Industry engagement

  • Taxi Industry Advisory Committee – A Taxi Industry Advisory Committee has been established to guide the development and delivery of a strategic plan for the taxi industry in Queensland and to provide advice to government on key issues.

Please email queries to PTStandards@tmr.qld.gov.au.

Last updated: 14 March 2012