Passenger Transport Newsletter #92 – April 2025

In this issue:

• Passage of the Passenger Transport Bill
• Taxi Industry Reform Package
• Taxi licence holder fee arrangements
• Dispatch system screens
• Compliance activity

Passage of the Passenger Transport (Point to Point Transport Services) Amendment Bill

The Passenger Transport (Point to Point Transport Services) Amendment Bill was passed by the South Australian Parliament on 20 March 2025. The Bill was then sent to the Governor of South Australia for signing which will enable the Bill to become law.

The Bill implements recommendations from the Passenger Transport Act Review (the Review) report which was released last year. Recommendations include:

• removing the limit on the number of metropolitan taxis that can operate
• introducing a new annual taxi licence for metropolitan taxi licence holders
• delivering a Taxi Industry Reform Package to buyback existing metropolitan and access taxi licences
• introducing a new point-to-point transport service transaction levy and updating the levy collection arrangements
• simplifying the accreditation model for passenger transport operators
• strengthening compliance and enforcement regimes by introducing new offences and automatic suspension and cancellation of accreditation in prescribed circumstances
• enabling the Minister to prescribe passenger transport vehicle standards and fleet standards.

Some recommendations will require changes to the Passenger Transport Regulations 2024. Changes will be implemented in stages during 2025 and 2026.

Our initial priority is to introduce arrangements that will:

• enable the buyback of metropolitan taxi licences
• establish new annual taxi licences
• enabling taxis to operate statewide

We will provide updates to industry and key stakeholders as changes are introduced.

Read the Passenger Transport (Point to Point Transport Services) Amendment Act 2025

Taxi Industry Reform Package

The Passenger Transport Act Review (the Review) report recommended a Taxi Industry Reform Package to enable the transition to new models for metropolitan and Access Taxi licences. This included a buyback of taxi licences from metropolitan taxi licence holders living in South Australia.

Following the release of the Review report, we received feedback from industry about payments for eligible licence holders.  We’ve considered this feedback and will now expand payment eligibility for licence holders who are not eligible for the $200,000 payment.  These licence holders will now be eligible to apply for a payment of $10,000 per licence.

We are in the process of finalising the eligibility criteria which will be approved by the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport.

Guidelines will be released in mid-2025 that set out the eligibility criteria and how taxi licence owners can apply for a payment under the Taxi Industry Reform Package. We will write to all taxi licence owners to provide a copy of the guidelines and outline the process, including eligibility criteria.

Taxi licence holder fee arrangements

Pending the implementation of the taxi licence buyback, as part of the Taxi Industry Reform Package, the following accreditation and fee arrangements apply for metropolitan taxi licence holders who do not operate their taxi licence or otherwise operate a passenger transport service:

• you still need to hold operator accreditation but do not need to pay operator accreditation or licence fees
• you do not need to obtain a national criminal history check
• lease fees continue to apply.

Single vehicle taxi operators will also continue to have the operator fee waived.

Fees will continue to apply to metropolitan taxi licence holders and other passenger transport vehicles operators who operate multiple vehicles.

The waiver will continue until otherwise advised.

For any relevant fees paid by metropolitan taxi licence owners on renewals commencing 20 March 2025 or after, refunds will automatically be issued by cheque by the Department.

To learn more contact Services SA

Installation of dispatch system screens and other visual display units

Installers of taxi meters, dispatch systems and accredited inspection stations were recently reminded of the current guidelines for the installation of visual display unit (VDU) devices, which includes taxi meters and dispatch units.

Installers and inspection stations must ensure strict compliance with safety standards for all installations, including the transfer of systems between vehicles.

In line with the guidelines, amongst other requirements, VDUs must not:

• intrude into the head impact zone for the driver or passengers
• constitute any impact risk in the event of a crash.
• obstruct the driver’s view of the road or obstruct safety devices such as pillar airbags.

If a VDU is used as a taxi meter or meter display it must be clearly visible to passengers, by being centrally located.

All new installations, including the transfer of equipment between vehicles must be undertaken in compliance with standards and guidelines.

For existing installations, taxi operators should ensure VDUs are compliant before the vehicle’s next scheduled inspection or the vehicle will not pass the inspection. Vehicles that have not passed the inspection cannot operate.

The Department’s compliance officers can issue directions to operators to present their vehicle for an inspection for non-compliant VDUs.

Learn more about VDUs here

Compliance Activity

The following compliance activity results apply to all vehicles in the point to point industry.

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