Passenger Transport Newsletter #97 – 5 December 2025

To support industry, the Department for Infrastructure and Transport (the Department) publishes a quarterly newsletter on key topics for the Point-to-Point industry.

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Centralised Booking Services are encouraged to forward this email onto drivers and operators.

Metropolitan taxi licence cancellation payments

From Monday 8 December 2025, the South Australian Government will issue payments to cancel existing metropolitan taxi licences and begin transitioning existing taxi licences to annual taxi licences.

Existing metropolitan taxi licence holders will receive an automatic payment of $10 000 for each taxi licence held, ahead of existing metropolitan taxi licences being cancelled.  Payments are automatic, metropolitan taxi licence holders do not need to apply for this payment.  A cheque will be sent to existing metropolitan taxi licence holders.

Existing metropolitan taxi licence holders may also be eligible for an additional payment of $190 000 for their first licence. Eligibility will be determined through an application and assessment process in accordance with a prescribed scheme made under section 52AB of the Passenger Transport Act 1994. Applications for the additional payment of $190 000 will open on Monday, 8 December 2025. For information on eligibility criteria and to apply (from 8 December 2025) visit www.sa.gov.au/taxi-and-passenger-transport

All existing metropolitan taxi licence holders will receive a letter and fact sheet from the Department providing further information about the eligibility criteria and how to apply.

There will be a separate cancellation and payment scheme for Access Taxi licence holders at a future stage.

If you have any questions about the cancellation of existing metropolitan taxi licence payments you can:

• Visit: www.sa.gov.au/taxi-and-passenger-transport
• Email: DIT:Metropolitantaxilicence@sa.gov.au
• Call: 13 10 84 [Option 5]

You can also register your interest to attend an information session. More information will be provided once session details are available.

Register at www.dit.sa.gov.au/taxi-session-updates or scan the QR code below.

Annual taxi licences for existing taxi operators

Annual taxi licences for existing operators will also be introduced from Monday 8 December 2025.

In the first instance, a new annual licence will be available for existing metropolitan taxi operators who are currently operating a metropolitan taxi licence. This will help ensure the smooth transition of existing operators to the new annual licence.

The annual licence will be available for new entrants as a second stage.

Existing metropolitan taxi operators will receive a letter from the Department in December 2025 that they will need to provide to Service SA to transition to annual licences to replace existing metropolitan taxi licences before 30 April 2026. This process cancels the existing metropolitan taxi licence.

Up until 30 April 2026, operators can continue to operate an existing metropolitan taxi licence until they have transitioned to a new annual taxi licence.

There is currently no charge for a new annual taxi licence.

Operators can retain their taxi plate number but will need to be issued with a new design plate with the existing plate number.

To retain your existing taxi plate number, which must be assigned to a taxi vehicle registered in your name or company name, operators will need to contact Service SA on 13 10 84 prior to 30 April 2026.  Service SA will then arrange a new design taxi plate to be made with your existing plate number. Service SA will confirm when you can collect your new number plate at your selected Service SA centre.

A new annual taxi licence:

• can only be issued to an accredited person operator who is a fit and proper person to hold an annual taxi licence;
• must be issued to an accredited person who is the registered owner of the taxi vehicle;
• can only relate to one taxi vehicle;
• cannot be leased, sold, or transferred to another person or business;
• will have a 12- month duration, unless accreditation or other conditions are not in place.

Taxi operators can continue to allow an accredited person to drive their taxi, provided the taxi is linked to an annual licence.

Statewide operation of metropolitan taxis

Metropolitan taxis can now operate statewide.

Allowing metropolitan taxis to operate statewide means that metropolitan taxis will be able to accept jobs irrespective of whether the trip ends in country or metropolitan areas.

Metropolitan taxi accredited operators and metropolitan accredited taxi Centralised Booking Services will no longer have to apply for separate accreditation to operate outside of the metropolitan boundary.

Maximum metropolitan taxi fares will apply statewide to metropolitan taxis.

There are no changes to levy collection arrangements. The point to point transport services transaction levy is only to be collected on trips which commence in metropolitan area irrespective of where they finish.

Existing service obligations remain, with service obligations only applying to metropolitan taxis in metropolitan Adelaide (excluding Adelaide Hills and Mount Barker (Area B).

Country running arrangements remain the same.

Metropolitan boundary restrictions continue to apply to Access Taxis through their conditions of accreditation.