Wheelchair Accessible Taxis and Hire Vehicles (WAVs) play an important role in the point to point transport industry. They provide safe passenger services for people travelling with wheelchairs.
Everyone involved in providing WAV services must support safe and accessible transport for people with disability.
Driver safety standards
Wheelchair accessible vehicles
Drivers of wheelchair accessible vehicles must give priority to a person using a wheelchair.
Wheelchair accessible vehicles must comply with the safety standards described in the safety standards booked vehicles services and safety standards for taxis pages.
Drivers of wheelchair accessible vehicles must be able to demonstrate competency in the safe loading, restraint and unloading of a person in a wheelchair. The Regulation (Clause 26) details how service providers and drivers must comply with this safety standard.
Vehicle Standards
Wheelchair accessible taxis
The taxi service provider, facilitator and affiliated provider, provider of the booking service (if relevant), holder of the taxi licence and owner of the vehicle have a specific obligation to ensure that a vehicle used to provide a wheelchair accessible taxi service:
- meets specific Australian Standards for hoists, tie downs and ramps for wheelchair accessible vehicles
- has a space where a wheelchair is carried inside a vehicle at least 1300mm long, 800mm wide and 1500mm high, with no intrusions other than adjustable restraint devices, for each wheelchair carried
- carries an appropriate number of wheelchair restraints
- complies with the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport
- is supplied with an approved child restraint
Wheelchair accessible vehicles
The provider of the booking service and owner of the vehicle has a specific obligation to ensure that a vehicle used to provide a wheelchair accessible service:
- meets specific Australian Standards for hoists, tie downs and ramps for wheelchair accessible vehicles
- has a space where a wheelchair is carried inside a vehicle at least 1300mm long, 800mm wide and 1500mm high, with no intrusions other than adjustable restraint devices, for each wheelchair carried
- carries an appropriate number of wheelchair restraints
- complies with the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport
- is supplied with an approved child restraint
The Point to Point Transport Commissioner has produced a WAV Safety toolkit to help everyone understand these safety obligations.
The toolkit provides a range of educational resources for service providers, affiliates and drivers about their safety obligations when providing WAV services.
The WAV Safety toolkit is also a valuable source of information for passengers travelling with wheelchairs, individuals in caregiving roles, medical professionals and staff within aged care facilities.
The toolkit contains a video introduction by the Commissioner, along with fact sheets, a driver checklist, a quick reference guide and a poster.
WAV Safety Toolkit
Watch the video to hear the Commissioner explaining the importance of safety for passengers travelling with wheelchairs.
WAV Safety Toolkit: Introductory Video
Wheelchair accessible vehicles in the point to point industry: Commissioner, Anthony Wing.