During November and December 2020, the Point to Point Transport Commissioner’s Compliance Team carried out multiple compliance operations in Regional NSW.
Authorised officers visited areas including Ballina, Byron Bay, Grafton, Lismore, Casino, Woolgoolga, Coffs Harbour, Kingscliff, Tweed Heads and Murwillumbah.
Officers targeted illegal driver behaviour and conducted safety checks on taxis and hire vehicles including rideshare, to ensure drivers were compliant and vehicles were being operated within point to point transport law.
Authorised officers also surveyed drivers about COVID-19 measures and steps they are taking to effectively carry out vehicle self sanitisation on high-touch areas.
During the compliance activities Authorised Officers detected the following in Byron Bay:
- A hire vehicle driver stopped, solicited and accepted a hiring in a taxi zone, a direct breach of Clauses 66 and 84 of the Point to Point Transport (Taxis and Hire Vehicles) Regulation 2017 – the driver of a passenger vehicle or any other person must not tout or solicit for passengers for, or for a hiring of, a vehicle; and a driver of a hire vehicle must not stop, stand or queue in a taxi zone. The driver received two penalty infringement notices totalling $1,180.
- A number of taxi drivers were also observed parking and leaving taxi vehicles unattended in the taxi zone, a direct breach of Clause 76 of the Point to Point Transport (Taxis and Hire Vehicles) Regulation 2017 – the driver of a taxi must not cause of allow the taxi to stand in a taxi zone if the taxi is hired or not available for hire.
It is the responsibility of all Authorised Taxi Service Providers and Booking Service Providers to ensure their drivers’ compliance with point to point transport laws.
More information is available about compliance on the Point to Point Transport Commissioner’s website.