Sydney WorldPride 2023

Secure taxi ranks usually operate late in busy locations across NSW. Security guards are on duty to help ensure a safe environment for both customers and drivers. 

During Sydney WorldPride, hours have been extended for selected secure ranks, along with pop-up secure ranks added across Sydney. See the TfNSW Secure Taxi Rank webpage for all locations.

Sydney WorldPride and Mardi Gras changes

Driver obligations – making sure everyone ‘rides safely with pride’

Sydney will be on show throughout WorldPride, and together the industry should be working to ensure that every ride at WorldPride is a safe ride.  To understand your safety obligations and driver obligations our website has a range of resources. Below we’ve provided a few links for you. 

• Drivers of hire vehicles and rideshare vehicles must display a retroreflective sign at the rear left hand side of their vehicle. This sign clearly identifies that you are providing passenger services for an authorised booking service provider. 
• Taxi drivers providing rank and hail passenger services must display their driver identity document at the front of the vehicle and it must be visible to all passengers in the vehicle. The Driver ID is an important safety measure. It allows passengers to feel confident that drivers are qualified and have been through appropriate checks to be able to drive the taxi. 
• Drivers are only allowed to stop in an area that is not a taxi zone if they are hired or not available for hire, loading or unloading luggage or goods, or picking up and dropping off passengers. If a taxi is hired or vacant a driver cannot stop in a taxi zone.
• As a part of a service providers Safety Management System drivers should be conducting pre-departure vehicle checks to ensure the vehicle is well maintained and road worthy. Drivers must not drive a vehicle that is not roadworthy, for example, bald tyres, frayed seat belts, headlights not working or inoperable security cameras (rank and hail taxis only). Please refer to the Vehicle Maintenance and safety inspections checklist.

Drivers must also comply with the policies of their service provider. Please see our website for more information on driver obligations.

We want everyone in NSW to not only travel safely in point to point transport, but also to be treated with respect.

Roads will be closed and special event clearway parking restrictions will be in effect across the Sydney CBD, Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Bondi and North Sydney for major Sydney WorldPride events between 24 February and 5 March 2023.  

See road closures

Service providers and drivers are urged to familiarise themselves with the road closures ahead of time and allow extra travel time on the day of each event as heavy traffic is expected. 

Real-time updates including maps are available at livetraffic.com. 

Once on livetraffic.com, simply click on the blue star icon in a specific location on the map to bring up key road closures, and helpful advice for passengers and drivers within that area. This information will appear in the left-hand window pane.

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Got a fare-related issue? Call the taxi fare hotline

If you have recently experienced a taxi driver refusing your fare, not using a meter or overcharging by demanding a set fare, report it by calling the Point to Point Transport Commissioner’s 24-hour Taxi Fare Hotline – 1800 500 410. When providing feedback, please have ready as much information as possible including the number plate, date, time, location and taxi company. This will help your call to be referred to the right taxi service provider for immediate action.  

• During the events, passengers will not be able to book a taxi or rideshare, and drivers will be unable to take booking requests for pick-up in areas where there are road closures.
• Wheelchair Accessible Taxi (WAT) bookings must be made prior to the Mardi Gras Parade night. Travelers can do this through Wheelchair Book & Ride.

The cooperation of passengers plays an important role in ensuring that each ride is a safe ride. Passenger responsibilities and expectations remain the same during WorldPride events, as usual.
Passengers must not:

• soil or damage the vehicle
• smoke in the vehicle
• behave in an offensive manner
• use offensive language
• intentionally interfere with the comfort or safety of other people (including the driver).

The driver of a taxi and hire vehicle, including rideshare, may refuse to accept a hiring or terminate the hiring by asking you to leave
the passenger vehicle if you behave in a manner listed above.

Or, if traveling in a taxi, the driver may refuse to accept a hiring or terminate the passenger service if:

• you are smoking, or drinking alcohol, and refuse to stop
• one of the passengers is under the age of 1 and no compliant child restraint is available; or
• you are, or are likely, to otherwise cause inconvenience, a nuisance or annoyance.