Country taxi licences
The Department has committed to working with the taxi industry to:
- Provide fair returns to drivers.
- Offer the public an efficient economical and safe service.
- Ensure that there are appropriate numbers of taxis to meet reasonable consumer demand.
Further information:
There are a number of different taxi licences issued in the country. Each licence is based on local requirements. The current taxi licence types include:
Licences may resemble a combination of the above types depending on the local requirements.
There are a fixed number of licences available in each country area. In all towns that currently have taxis, a review of the need for additional licences is held every three years.
These reviews can be brought forward in instances where the Department, members of the public, the taxi industry or local government believes that the demand for taxis has increased significantly and/or that the public is not being serviced effectively.
The review process is undertaken by the regionally based Regional Manager who reviews changes in population, taxi demand and levels of service. In towns with more than five taxis an independent consultant undertakes a survey of residents to gauge their experiences with the taxi industry. The Regional Manager will undertake interviews with the local taxi companies, local businesses and government agencies to ascertain the need for additional licences.
If the review process determines that there are insufficient taxis to cover the demand in a certain country area, additional licences will be issued through a public advertising process.
This process involves placing an advertisement in the local paper(s), detailing the number of new plates available. Interested parties are then able to apply for a licence
Applications are assessed against the following criteria:
- Business capacity and experience
- Show examples of customer service
- Enhance current competition and
- Have a preference to own the vehicle they will operate rather than lease/rent
Taxi fares are set by the Department and differ in each region. They are increased consistently with movements in the Private Motoring Index (PMI). The PMI measures the movements in a range of motoring costs. (i.e. fuel running costs, licensing costs etc).
In exceptional instances the local taxi industry can submit additional information to support a higher increase for consideration.
Please see the Taxi fares section for more information.
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There are currently no age limits on country taxis and no requirements for security cameras. Vehicles must pass the annual road-worthy inspections and be maintained in a presentable condition, regardless of the age of the vehicle.
The types of vehicles approved for use as a taxi are dependent on the specific local need as demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Department.
In general, vehicles other than :
- standard sedans,
- station sedans or
- people movers
will usually not be licensed for use as a taxi. Where the licence states that the vehicle must be Multi-Purpose Taxi (MPT) the vehicle must be approved by the Department as suitable of accommodating at least one wheelchair.
The Department occasionally receives requests for a taxi licence in smaller towns that do not have an existing taxi service. Requests may come from local residents, the shire or a person who has identified that they would like to set up a taxi service themselves.
Where a new operator approaches the Department to set up a service, they will be required to complete the Country Taxi Application Form and must meet the minimum criteria.
In the case where the community or the Department identified the need for a taxi service and no prospective operator has come forward, a licence will be publicly advertised and applicants will need to complete the Country Taxi Application Form.
See the Want to become a taxi driver section for more information about gaining the required endorsements on your licence in order to drive a taxi.
Changes to the country taxi industry
The Department has recently completed a thorough review of the country taxi industry, which sets out the proposed changes to the regulatory framework. The report and the recommendations can be found in our Publications section.
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