Page 1047 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 30 March 2011
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substantial reforms, the aim of which has been to improve the quality and responsiveness of the WAT service to those Canberrans who need it most.
In 2007, for example, we funded the network to help them better manage WAT bookings, work that benefited both WAT users and WAT operators and drivers. Regrettably, one network declined this offer of assistance. Another accepted it and, for a short time, was able to deliver a vastly improved service. Sadly, the network did not demonstrate a continuing commitment to the level of micromanagement that we know is required to deliver satisfactory WAT services, and funding was, consequently, withdrawn.
Other initiatives the government has implemented to improve WAT availability include incentive payments for drivers on certain holidays or significant family days, such as Christmas, Easter, Mothers Day, Fathers Day and Anzac Day. In addition, the lift fee paid to ACT taxi drivers for a WAT job is the highest in Australia. The lift fee for late-night trips has been doubled in an attempt to ensure that more drivers are willing to keep their WATs on the road after hours.
This is essential if WAT users are to be genuinely able to engage fully in the social life of their community—going out to dinner, clubs, movies, a show or even, indeed, simply to visit family. The smaller WATs—the ones Ms Bresnan refers to as being unsuitable for the majority of wheelchair users—were introduced in 2007 following a request by the wheelchair accessible user focus groups to do so.
The government believes in consulting the community. In this instance, the consultation with the target groups showed overwhelming support. It was their recommendation that we introduce single-capacity vehicles into the WAT fleet, as long as customers with larger wheelchairs were not disadvantaged. The introduction of single WAT vehicles was designed to deliver a more comfortable ride for wheelchair users.
The current WAT fleet contains 10 large WATs capable of carrying at least two wheelchairs and 15 of the smaller Tarago WATs. In spite of the range of measures which have been put in place over recent years to improve WAT services, the government remained unsatisfied. That is why, when I ordered a comprehensive review of the industry last year, WATs were highest on the agenda.
The review was managed by the Department of Territory and Municipal Services, which engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers to provide independent expert analysis and advice. PWC has previously conducted reviews of the Victorian and New South Wales taxi arrangements and was well placed to provide expert advice on current taxi arrangements and to recommend options for change.
PWC consulted closely with representatives from organisations representing Canberrans living with disabilities and surveyed the satisfaction levels of WAT users. It found that customers would make greater use of WATs if their reliability and availability could be improved and if the network booking service could be rendered more reliable.
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