Touting and Soliciting

Touting and soliciting

Hire and rideshare vehicle drivers must not offer a passenger service to a person who does not have a prior booking. Taxi drivers should only allow passengers to enter their vehicles when they are at a taxi rank, have been hailed or when the passenger has made a booking in advance.

What is touting and soliciting

Touting and soliciting is directly approaching a person or people to offer a passenger service.

This includes:

  • approaching potential passengers for fares
  • calling out to people, asking if they require transport
  • holding up signs or other printed or digital material offering passenger services

Why can’t drivers tout or solicit?

Under the point to point transport law, drivers in NSW must not tout or solicit for passengers.
Touting and soliciting risks the safety of both passengers and drivers.

Touting and soliciting:

  • is unsafe for both drivers and passengers, there is no record of the passenger service, nor
  • can anyone be sure safety checks have been made on the driver or vehicle
  • is a form of harassment and it is unwanted behaviour
  • in high traffic areas, such as airports, train stations and thoroughfares, can present unsafe
  • situations for pedestrians and for drivers
  • illegally undercuts authorised service providers and drivers who are doing the right thing.
     

What if I am trying to find a passenger that has pre-booked with a driver?

It is not considered touting or soliciting when a driver asks a person whether they are waiting for the specific booked service provided by the passenger vehicle. For example, hire vehicle drivers holding a sign with the name of a passenger who has booked their service.


What are the penalties for touting and soliciting?

 

  • Drivers who are caught touting and soliciting in the Sydney Airport precinct can face prosecution in the Local Court which carries a maximum penalty of $5,500.
  • Drivers who are caught touting and soliciting in a location other than the Sydney Airport can face prosecution in the Local Court which carries a maximum penalty of $550.
  • Penalty Notices can be issued by the NSW Police or Authorised Officers from the Point to Point Transport Commission.
  • Drivers who are convicted on two occasions for touting and soliciting face mandatory disqualification from the industry.

Further information

Related resources are available from the Learning Centre and the following links:

If you have any questions or need further information, please visit the Point to Point Transport
Commissioner’s website pointtopoint.nsw.gov.au or call the Industry Contact Centre on 131 727.

Touting and soliciting
Touting and soliciting Fact Sheet
PDF, 139.92 KB