Booking Service Providers

A business or person that takes bookings for taxis or hire vehicles (including rideshare) to provide a passenger service and communicates bookings to drivers, or other providers of passenger services, is a booking service provider.

A booking may be obtained remotely by phone, internet, mobile App or other means.

Taxi, rideshare and hire vehicle drivers who take their own bookings directly from customers are considered to be booking service providers.

Booking service providers in NSW must be authorised by the Point to Point Transport Commissioner. If a taxi service provider provides a booking service they also must be authorised as a booking service provider. Penalties apply for anyone taking bookings without authorisation.

How do I become an authorised booking service provider?

Applications for authorisation as a booking service provider are made through the Point to Point Transport Commissioner’s Industry Portal which can be accessed on our website.

Individuals, partnerships and corporations who want to become a booking service provider need to first register and then apply for authorisation through the Industry Portal to become authorised. The portal will also help you manage your accounts and assist you to meet your safety obligations.

Visit Become an authorised service provider to understand how to become authorised.

Booking service provider obligations

Safety standards

Safety is a shared goal for everyone in the point to point transport industry in NSW. Booking service providers are responsible for ensuring the journeys they arrange are safe for drivers, passengers and other persons through the implementation of a Safety Management System and compliance with other safety standards.  

The Commissioner’s authorised officers audit booking service providers’ Safety Management Systems to ensure they are meeting their obligations.

Visit Safety standards for booked vehicles to understand your safety obligations as a booking service provider.

The Passenger Service Levy

Booking service providers must pay a $1.20 levy per passenger service transaction. Payment of the levy is a condition of authorisation. Booking service providers must register as a taxpayer through the Industry Portal to pay the levy.

Exemptions: booking service providers in remote parts of NSW may apply for an exemption from the levy. Also, if you are a small provider carrying out less than 150 passenger service transactions per year you can also seek an exemption.

Rebates: If a booking service provider carries out more than 150 but not more than 600 passenger service transactions in a twelve month period they may be eligible for a rebate.

Visit the Passenger Service Levy page for more information.

Keeping records

Booking service providers must keep records in order to demonstrate how they identify, record, and manage the risks associated with their services.

All authorised service providers need to keep a record of:

  • the full names and driver licence numbers of all their drivers
  • the registration details for all vehicles in their fleet.
  • on-boarding new drivers and managing existing drivers

Booking service providers must record and retain all booking details for at least two years after the booking is made. The following information must be recorded:

  • the date and time of the booking
  • the date, time and where the trip started and ended
  • the name of the driver and vehicle registration number
  • contact information for at least one of the following - a passenger, the person who made the booking or the person who paid for the trip.