The Acting Point to Point Transport Commissioner, Tara McCarthy, has announced that from 27 July 2018 taxis in NSW will for the first time be able to display the words 'CAB' or 'CABS' rather than 'TAXI' on their roof signs.
The change has been made possible by an exemption to the Point to Point Transport (Taxis and Hire Vehicles) Regulation 2017. The exemption, that came into effect today, means taxis no longer need to display the word 'TAXI' on their roof signs, on the condition either 'CAB' or 'CABS' is used.
The exemption represents the first major change to taxi roof signs in more than 28 years: the legal requirement for roof signs on taxis to include the word 'TAXI' in black lettering has been in place since July 1990. The exemption doesn't change the requirement that the wording – whether it be 'TAXI', 'CAB' or 'CABS' – to be in black lettering and for the roof light to be visible from a distance of 40 metres in daylight.
Ms McCarthy said her decision was in keeping with the intent of the NSW point to point transport reforms to allow for greater innovation, and the NSW Government's commitment to a less prescriptive and a more flexible regulatory environment for the State's point to point transport industry, that includes taxis, hire cars and rideshare services.
"This is a significant decision for the industry," Ms McCarthy said. "The exemption around the wording of the taxi roof sign reflects that NSW has a modern regulator that is responsive to changing trends. It is a sensible approach to regulation that doesn't stifle innovation."
Ms McCarthy said that in reaching her decision, she acknowledged that the words 'cab' or 'cabs' were synonymous with 'taxi' and that allowing the alternative wordings to be used gave no rise to any safety matters.
"Importantly, there's no exemption from the requirement of the roof sign lettering to be in black. This ensures readability from a distance is maintained for visually impaired people," Ms McCarthy explained.
The Point to Point Transport Commissioner became the industry regulator on 1 November 2017, when new point to point transport laws for NSW came into effect.