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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 12 Hansard (25 November) . . Page.. 3730 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

I note that the committee has been unable to ascertain how many Canberra people require wheelchair-accessible transport and has proposed that an objective for 10 per cent of the taxi fleet to be accessible initially be set. Further plates would be issued following an assessment of equivalent access to taxi services in terms of waiting times. The Government is committed to ensuring that within five years there is parity in the waiting time for wheelchair-accessible taxis and a standard taxi. Accordingly, we plan to progressively issue additional taxi plates until parity is achieved.

It is important to note, Mr Speaker, that the recommendations made in the report are consistent with the intentions of the draft Australian accessible public transport standards. These standards are directed towards ensuring that people with disabilities will have the same access to public transport services throughout Australia as people who do not have disabilities. In the case of taxi services, the standards provide that equivalent access is to be achieved within five years.

The Government agrees with the committee's recommendation that the plates be issued by way of a non-transferable six-year licence. The leasing of taxi plates is common in other jurisdictions. Leasing does away with the high price of plates sold through the auction system, a practice which is a barrier to entry for many.

It is proposed that the annual licence fee for wheelchair-accessible taxis be set at $1,000. This fee has been established taking into account the cost of administration and regulation and the Government's desire for a strong take-up of the additional plates. In the longer term, it is proposed that the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Commission will determine the fee. As recommended by the committee, new licences are to be made available by way of ballot to individuals who are able to satisfy certain criteria. First and foremost, we want to attract operators who have a strong customer focus and who are prepared to undertake appropriate training. The Government is prepared to facilitate this training, but considers that the costs should be met by the industry.

The committee has made a number of recommendations dealing with the design, functionality and other specifications of new wheelchair-accessible taxis. The Government considers that, if specifications are overly prescriptive, this may stifle innovation and limit choice for those with disabilities. It is the Government's intention, however, that the 10 additional wheelchair-accessible cabs be able to accommodate two wheelchairs. The choice of taxi and the use of hoists, ramps and other devices will be left to operators as long as the necessary safety standards are met.

The committee has recommended that the dispatch system used to control wheelchair-accessible taxis be the same as that used to dispatch all other taxis. The Government considers that the current dispatch system provides a good service for people requiring a wheelchair-accessible taxi and should be retained. The recommended improvements to the method of recording bookings under the current dispatch system, recommendation 2, are supported. These improvements will allow for a more accurate assessment of waiting times and the need for additional wheelchair-accessible taxis.

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