As a driver, do I need a driver’s authority?
No. Authorised service providers must ensure their drivers meet new safety standards. This process replaces the driver authorisation scheme under the old legislation, meaning driver authorities are a thing of the past and will no longer be issued by the NSW Government.
Anyone who held a driver authority immediately prior to the commencement of the legislation will automatically be recognised as meeting the safety standards under the Regulation. Roads and Maritime Services will be writing to these drivers about what will happen next.
Taxi drivers are required to display an identification document provided by the Taxi Service Provider. This can be in the form of a card or electronic document containing the following: a photograph of the driver; an identification number provided by the taxi service provider.
What are the eligibility requirements for a driver?
Anyone wanting to become a taxi or hire vehicle driver must be licensed and must pass medical and criminal background checks to ensure they are providing a safe service to customers. To be eligible, drivers must:
- Have held an unrestricted Australian driver licence (not a probationary licence) for at least 12 months in the preceding four years
- Meet medical standards for commercial vehicle drivers
- Ineligible drivers for taxis and hire vehicles include anyone whose driver authority was cancelled (other than on medical grounds), or their application was refused, in the past 10 years on the grounds that they were not a fit and proper person and anyone who has committed certain offences, which can be found in the Regulation.
As a driver, you have a duty of care to take reasonable care of the health and safety of yourself, passengers and others. You must comply with all reasonable policies and directions of authorised service providers. This includes safety standards relating to driver licence requirements, driving and criminal records, competence and medical fitness requirements.
Significant penalties apply if a driver fails to comply without a reasonable excuse.
Details about the changes being introduced to driver licensing requirements, including medical assessments, for point to point transport drivers will soon be made available on the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) website.
Who is ineligible to drive taxis or hire vehicles?
Anyone wanting to become a taxi or hire vehicle driver must be licensed and must pass medical and criminal background checks to ensure they are providing a safe service to customers. You are ineligible to drive a taxi or hire vehicle if:
- Your driver authority was cancelled (other than on medical grounds), or an application refused, in the past 10 years on the grounds you were not a fit and proper person
- You have committed a certain offence
What is a driver’s duty of care?
Taxi and Booking Service Providers have a duty of care to ensure the health and safety of drivers and passengers.
As a driver, you have a duty of care to take reasonable care of the health and safety of yourself, passengers and others. You must comply with all reasonable policies and directions of authorised service providers. This includes safety standards relating to driver licence requirements, driving and criminal records, competence and medical fitness requirements.
Significant penalties apply if a driver fails to comply without a reasonable excuse.
What responsibilities do authorised Taxi and Booking Service Providers have to drivers?
All service providers are responsible for ensuring drivers:
- Have held an unrestricted Australian driver licence for at least 12 months in the preceding four years
- Meet medical standards for commercial vehicle drivers
Service providers also have a duty of care to ensure the health and safety of drivers, which includes ensuring drivers comply with the new safety standards for drivers and vehicles.
What are the changes to driver medicals?
Drivers must meet medical standards for commercial vehicle drivers and their medical fitness is now managed through their driver licence. Drivers who held a driver authority under the previous laws will receive a letter from Roads and Maritime Services to notify them of the transition arrangements.
Note: Drivers won’t appear in the Driver Vehicle Dashboard until their driver licence record has been updated with the new Passenger Transport licence code.