Conventional taxis

Conventional taxis are standard taxis that operate without restrictions such as those applied to peak-period, multi-purpose or restricted-area taxis.

• Typical working hours
• Taxi dispatch services
• Metropolitan driver requirements
• Country driver requirements
  

Typical working hours for conventional taxis

• Conventional taxi plate leaseholders are required to drive a minimum of 5 shifts per week.
  
  
• Conventional taxis are required to operate 72 hour per week, including Friday and Saturday nights from 5pm through to 6am.
  
  
• All taxis are required to be on the road for certain holidays and special events. 
  
  
• Taxi plate owners are entitled to 'shift lease' their taxi to other drivers at times when they do not wish to be driving themselves. 
  
  
• Taxi plate owners may engage drivers full-time or lease their plate totally to a driver or management company. 
  
  
• There is currently no regulation of maximum driving hours.

Taxi dispatch services

A Taxi Dispatch Service (TDS), sometimes referred to as a taxi company, takes bookings from customers and delegates them out to taxi drivers (such as Swan Taxis and Black & White taxis).

• Drivers or plate holders pay taxi dispatch service rank membership fees.  Contact the taxi dispatch service directly for more information.
  
  
• Jobs are normally distributed by mobile data terminal (taxi computer).
  
  
• Smaller dispatch services may use two-way radio. 
  
  
• Drivers are also free to accept hails in the street or make private arrangements with customers.

Metropolitan driver requirements

Metropolitan taxis are expected to operate anywhere within the metropolitan area that customers wish to go.  The exception are restricted-area taxis which operate in the fringe metropolitan areas:

• Rockingham
  
  
• Armadale/Gosnells
  
  
• Kalamunda/Mundaring and
  
  
• Wanneroo

which must return immediately to their restricted-area after taking a fare outside their area.

Training and professional development

As part of applying for a T endorsement on your driver's licence, training and aptitude tests are used to assess and develop the appropriate skills for being a Perth- based taxi driver.  It is important that a driver learns how to communicate as well as how to best manage his/her efficiency and earning ability.

• Further information is available in the publications section.
  
  
• Apply for your taxi licence T endorsement to become a metropolitan taxi driver.

The application process for country taxi drivers is different to that for metropolitan taxi drivers.

To get a T endorsement on your licence, country applicants do not have to undergo the formal training, aptitude or registration tests.

back to top