ذدà،±ل>‏ے <>‏ےےے;ےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےى¥ء5@ ً؟‎/bjbjد2د2 :XX‎'ےےےےےےˆ6666666JnnnnzJ!¶¢¢¢¢¢پپپ ¢¢¢¢¢¢$×R)ؤئ6پ}پپپئ66¢¢غغ³³³پ"6¢6¢ ³پ ³‍³Q6\à66t¢–°‹ض>« ءn£<”ٌ0!Xي³ي8tJJ6666ي6t پپ³پپپپپئئJJ$ n³JJnNSW DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT’S RESPONSE TO THE HREOC NOTICE OF INQUIRY The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission has authorised the Disability Discrimination Commissioner to conduct an inquiry into the response times for Wheelchair Accessible Taxis. The Department of Transport’s aim is to better meet the passenger and freight transport needs of the people of NSW through efficient, reliable, safe and cost effective transport services. The Department: formulates and implements transport policy and develops transport plans Undertakes the accreditation and regulation of passengers transport providers Plans environmentally responsible transport outcomes Undertakes safety regulation of the rail industry, the port corporations and all passenger transport operators Collects transport data to review performance and underpin decision-making Develops, evaluates and audits the performance of transport services Coordinates the transport of major events. In relation to wheelchair accessible taxis, in particular, the Department has two objectives. First, to provide the regulatory conditions that allow the taxi industry to meet its obligation of providing equality of access and service levels for all its customers. Secondly, to provide incentives and other support to encourage this obligation to be met. In August 2000, the Department established the Taxi & Hire Car Bureau (THCB) as part of the package of reforms which followed a review conducted by the State’s Independent Pricing and Regulatory Authority (IPART) of the taxi and hire car industries in NSW. The Bureau regulates taxis and hire cars on a State-wide basis and its role is to ensure that taxi and hire car services within New South Wales are safe, reliable, accessible and the highest possible quality in meeting the needs of all customers. In order to better identify the needs of wheelchair taxi customers in NSW, last year the Department conducted a survey of wheelchair accessible taxi customers. A copy of the survey is attached. The Department’s response to the specific terms of reference of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) inquiry is set out below. Response times: Are response times significantly longer for passengers requiring wheelchair accessible taxis than other passengers making taxi bookings in any part of Australia? In Sydney response times for Wheelchair Accessible Taxis (WATS) are longer than for normal taxis. The WAT Customers survey (August 2000) results showed that a large proportion (87%) said that there is a need for more wheelchair accessible taxis and for more reliable service and less waiting time. The proposed draft Taxi Network Performance Standards specify a maximum waiting time for passengers to be picked up by wheelchair accessible taxis. Proportion of fleets accessible: What proportion of existing taxi fleets is wheelchair accessible? As at 30 June 2001 there are 354 WATs (6% of all taxis) in NSW. The Sydney Metropolitan Transport District has 249 WATs (5.3% of all Sydney Metropolitan taxis) and country NSW has 105 WATs (11.2% of all NSW Country taxis). Are these proportions sufficient: Is the proportion of taxi fleets which is wheelchair accessible insufficient in any areas of Australia to enable services to be provided to passengers requiring wheelchair accessible taxis, with equivalent reliability and waiting times to those for other passengers booking taxis? If so what proportion of taxi fleets being accessible would be sufficient? To improve the proportion of WATS in the total taxi fleet the Department is continuing to issue free WAT licences in the country and interest free loans to purchase WATS or modify vehicles to carry wheelchairs. It is proposed to auction a further 80 WAT licences for Sydney shortly. In NSW many people who qualify for the government subsidy to use WATS may only in fact use such taxis infrequently and consequently it has not yet been determined what percentage of the fleet needs to be wheelchair accessible to equate the waiting times for the WATS and normal taxis. Nevertheless, service levels will be a key indicator of the need for a greater proportion of WATs to be operating. Monitoring of these will be on-going to determine future demand for taxis. The Department has worked with the taxi industry, and will continue to do so, to get their agreement to achieving a proportion of WATS in the fleet that results in acceptable service levels. Measures to ensure sufficient proportion accessible: What measures have transport authorities taken or could they take to ensure that a sufficient proportion of taxi fleets is accessible? In 1998 the Government announced the issue of 400 WAT licences. In late 1999, due to a slower than anticipated take up of WAT licences, a number of reforms were undertaken to reduce the cost of operating a WAT and attract more entrants to the industry. These reforms reduced the cost of a short-term WAT licence from $6,000 p.a. to $1,000 p.a., removed the requirement to use a new vehicle and reduced the minimum operating hours from twenty to ten. In the July 2000 taxi reform package the Government announced the issue of 450 taxi licences, which have been more appealing to prospective investors. Some have been issued for WATs and another 80 WAT licences are planned to be auctioned in July this year. Response to recent releases indicates that supply of WAT licences is not an impediment to increasing the availability of WATs on the road. Two impediments of more significance are the economic viability of such a service, and the availability of suitable drivers. Economic factors: Are there any economic disincentives to the provision of wheelchair accessible taxi services (either in the provision of accessible vehicles or in their use to serve passengers using wheelchairs) which could be addressed either by taxi regulatory authorities or by other relevant government agencies? In NSW WAT licences issued recently have a licence condition requiring the vehicle to have a 2 wheelchair capacity. The requirement of 2 wheelchairs was to cater to the needs of WAT customers to travel together or in a group. However, it is considered that one of the major reasons for the low uptake of WAT licences was the requirement to comply with 2 wheelchairs capacity vehicles. So the Department is reviewing the appropriateness of this licence condition. This requirement does not have universal support throughout the broader disability community and is not required by the DDA draft Standards. Two-wheelchair vehicles are expensive (approximate $70,000) making them unattractive to potential operators. A recent survey of WAT customers in NSW (August 2000) indicated that about 80% of WAT customers travel alone in WATS. Single wheelchair vehicles are much less expensive and would improve the availability, reliability and delivery of WAT services. The purchase cost of a WAT vehicle is some $20,000 to $40,000 more than a standard taxi. This is a significant disincentive to potential operators. Effective use of accessible fleets: Are there any regulatory or technical measures being taken, or which could be taken which would ensure that a given level of accessible taxi fleet meets demand for wheelchair accessible taxis more effectively (whether through more effective implementation or enforcement of priority systems or through dedication of accessible taxis to meeting wheelchair accessible requirements)? It should be noted that a common complaint from WAT customers is that booked taxis either do not arrive or are very late. There is a perception that cabs are booked for a job when the customer makes a booking. In fact the networks only arrange the taxi a short time before the taxi is required. This practice, combined with a reluctance on the part of some taxi drivers to accept short distance bookings, results in a significant mismatch between customers’ expectations and the industry’s ability to deliver a good service. Initiatives have been implemented to both encourage and require the proper use of WATs and minimise this mismatch. These include: Issuing of infringement notices to WAT drivers for refusing 0200 (the Sydney WAT Network) bookings after checking with the 0200 network. Identifying WAT vehicles at airport taxi ranks that are being primarily used for maxi taxi work (multiple hire) and taking appropriate action where necessary to encourage them to comply with requirements. The Department proposes to introduce Service Standards under the Passenger Transport Act, which will enable networks to direct operators to provide specific levels of taxi services to the public, including WATs. Developing joint action plans with industry to improve the level of service to WAT customers. Regulatory amendments: The Government is considering the following amendments to its taxi regulations to improve service for wheelchair customers: A ‘ no destination’ clause to prevent taxi drivers from avoiding short journeys in preference to longer more lucrative trips. Taxi meters in WAT vehicles must be visible to all passengers at all times. Taxi drivers are required to securely fasten and secure all wheelchairs in taxis. Issue of new WAT Driver Authority Cards: The Department has recently commenced issuing all WAT qualified drivers with new Driver Authority Cards. The cards are pink in colour and display a Wheelchair Accessible Symbol to ensure that only WAT qualified drivers operate WAT vehicles, thereby improving safety standards. Data links with taxi networks: In July 2000 the Minister for Transport announced that electronic monitoring of taxi radio rooms would be introduced to analyse whether networks have sufficient taxis available in peak periods, or respond too slowly to customer bookings. The Department is currently conducting a feasibility study to determine the most appropriate technology solution. Funding of WAT Driver Training: The Department has since November 1999 funded the attendance of drivers on the Wheelchair Accessible Taxi Driver Training Course. The aim of this initiative is to increase the number of qualified WAT drivers by removing the entry cost barrier. '(ëپگ4ُY<]_ؤ³:%RS…!†!¯#ز#ض#P%d-e-‎/üôïüïêüïüêüïüêüمêüïêïüïüïüêüïühF~5پ6پ hF~6پ hF~5پhF~OJQJhF~FG ء آ ز h ‌ W‌بة- . 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