Your responsibilities
The requirements for CPV drivers are contained in the Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry Act 2017 (the Act) and the Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry Regulations 2018 (Regulations) and conditions placed on driver accreditation.
Safety is our priority, and it should be yours too. As a driver of a commercial passenger vehicle, you need to take care of your health and safety, and the health and safety of your passengers.
Along with vehicle requirements, accreditation conditions and the documents required to provide CPV services, there are other conditions you must adhere to when providing CPV services, as per the regulations:
| Requirement | Further information |
|---|---|
| CPV drivers must accept fares for passengers with assistance animals
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Drivers cannot refuse fares to passengers with assistance animals.
Some assistance animals wear identification, but others do not. As long as they’re trained to help a person alleviate their disability, they’re considered an assistance animal. |
| CPV drivers must provide reasonable assistance for persons getting into and out of a vehicle.
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Always ask a passenger before assisting them in or out of the vehicle |
| Smoking
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Smoking is prohibited in all CPVs used to provide CPV services, including e-cigarettes or vapourisers (vapes) |
| Blood-alcohol
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The blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for all commercial passenger vehicle drivers (including rideshare, hire car and taxi drivers) is 0.00 while the vehicle is in service.
When a CPV is being driven for private use, CPV drivers are subject to the same blood alcohol level as a regular driver; that is, 0.05. This requirement is set out in section 52(1C) of the Road Safety Act 1986 |
Drivers must report notifiable incidents. |
A notifiable incident is any incident where someone’s safety has been at risk. This can include serious injuries, deaths or accidents where someone was harmed. As a duty holder, drivers have a responsibility to notify us within ten business days of becoming aware an incident has occurred.
It is an offence not to report a notifiable incident. The failure to do so may result in compliance action by ST Vic. Notifiable incidents must be reported via the ST Vic online |
Please note that the Road Safety Road Rules 2017 (road rules) apply to drivers of CPVs in the same way they apply to drivers of private vehicles.
Code of Practice
The Victorian Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry Code of Practice (the Code) offers guidance to the industry on how to follow safety rules, especially concerning safety responsibilities.
The Code is designed for all those responsible for ensuring the safety of commercial passenger vehicle services. It helps them provide safe services that follow the rules set by the industry’s laws.
The Code was created in collaboration with industry stakeholders and is divided into two parts.
Part one provides all industry parties with an understanding of the risk management process so that they can take steps to control, eliminate or mitigate risks in a manner that is appropriate to the size and nature of their commercial passenger vehicle, equipment or service business.
Part two provides practical guidance to drivers, booking service providers, vehicle owners and other parties who play a role in providing commercial passenger vehicle services on complying with their safety duties.
Travelling with children
There are important restraint and seatbelt requirements for children riding in CPVs.
Under the Road Safety Rules 2017 (the rules), the requirements differ for infants under 12 months, and children aged between 1-6 years of age. They also differ for unbooked (taxi rank and hail) and booked (rideshare and hire car vehicles).
Vehicles that provide unbooked services aren’t required to carry child restraints such as capsules, child seats or booster seats. However, they must have at least one point where the straps of a child restraint or booster seat can be securely attached, if the child’s parent or carer brings these to use.
| Age | Restraint |
|---|---|
| Under 12 months | Must be carried in the back seat by the parent or carer |
| Age 1 – 6 years | Must travel in the back seat
Must wear their own properly fastened seat belt if no suitable child restraint or booster seat is available Must not be sitting on someone’s lap |
The rules covering children travelling in booked vehicles (such as hire cars and rideshares) are the same as for private cars.
This means that children up to seven years of age must be secured in a restraint appropriate to the age and size of the child.
Children aged over seven years must use either a booster seat or an adult seat belt.
Your booking service provider may offer car seats upon request.
Understanding road signs
For the purposes of the road rules, a taxi is a CPV that provides unbooked services and is fitted with a fare calculation device and approved security camera (metropolitan and urban zones only).
It is important for drivers to understand the signs, and what they mean in the interests of driver and passenger safety.
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Taxi zone – for taxi use only
A driver must not stop in a taxi zone unless they are driving a taxi. Other CPVs (that is, hire cars/rideshare) are not permitted to stop in taxi zones |
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No parking
The driver of a CPV may stop in a no parking area if the driver is dropping off, or picking up, passengers |
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Loading zone
The driver of a CPV may stop in a loading zone if the driver is dropping off, or picking up, passengers |
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Clearway
The driver of a CPV may stop in a clearway if the driver is dropping off, or picking up, passengers |
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Bicycle lane
The driver of a CPV may drive for up to 50 metres in a bicycle lane if the driver is dropping off, or picking up, passengers. However, the driver must not stop if other ‘no stopping’ restrictions apply along the bicycle lane. |
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No stopping
The driver must not stop on a length of road or in an area where a no stopping sign applies. |
| Bus Stop | Bus stop
The driver of a CPV must not stop within 20 meters before a bus stop, 10 meters after a bus stop or at a bus stop itself. |
| Tram Stop | Tram stop
The driver of a CPV must not stop on the road within 20 metres of a tram stop or at a tram stop itself. |
The full road rules are available at the link below.
Enquiries about the road rules should be directed to VicRoads on telephone 13 11 71.
Accidents
Unfortunately, accidents do happen on our roads.
Firstly, it is your duty to report any notifiable incidents to Safe Transport Victoria. A notifiable incident is any incident where someone’s safety has been at risk. This can include:
- Serious injuries
- Death
- Accidents where someone was harmed.
A driver must notify us within 10 business days of becoming aware an incident has occurred.
Personal injury to drivers and passengers is covered through the Transport Accident Commission. Information about making claims through the TAC can be found on the TAC website.
Third party property damage insurance is compulsory if the vehicle owner is party to a driver agreement. It is recommended that vehicle owners have insurance appropriate to the type of service they provide.
Security cameras in CPVs
Vehicles used for providing unbooked services (those hailed or from a rank) in the Melbourne metropolitan, urban and large regional zones must have an approved and functional security camera installed. They are not required to be fitted into regional and country CPVs, however, the BSP or vehicle owners may fit ST Vic approved cameras into their vehicles if they want to do so.
The camera must be switched on at all times during an unbooked service. The camera system must also have a visual indicator showing when the camera is operational or when there is a malfunction.
The indicator light must be clearly visible to the driver when seated in the normal driving position, and is generally mounted into or attached to the dashboard of the vehicle on the driver’s side of the steering column.
Before installing a new camera, you must meet the requirements set out in the Security Camera Guidelines.
Following the report of an incident to ST Vic or Victoria Police, footage from security cameras can be downloaded and used to investigate the reported incident.
Only our authorised officers are permitted to download images from camera systems. Vehicles owners and drivers aren’t authorised to have access to images collected by the camera systems under any circumstances.
Ensuring the privacy of passengers and drivers is paramount. These cameras are used to record incidents in CPVs for investigative purposes only. Images of everyday passenger trips are not viewed or retained by any person.
The Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry Act 2017 (the Act) also prohibits a person from making an audio recording of any passenger of a commercial passenger vehicle. This covers recordings made on all devices, including mobile phones, security cameras and dictaphones. Substantial penalties apply for non-compliance.
The documents you need to provide CPV services
All CPV drivers must carry their driver certificate with them when they are providing services. Your certificate is provided to you along with your accreditation.
When providing unbooked services, drivers also need:
- A photo ID card on display
- An MPTP driver smartcard.
If you require a replacement for any of these documents, please contact us.
Driver certificates are currently issued in a hard copy format. Drivers can also view or download an electronic copy by creating a user portal account.
Driver accreditation is perpetual, so driver certificates do not expire. This means that an accredited driver can continue to use their driver certificate showing an old payment period. The driver, their passengers or their employer can check the public register at any time. When a DC number is typed into the public register and the name of the driver comes up, this confirms that the individual’s driver accreditation is current.
If you’re driving a CPV that provides unbooked (taxi) services, you must display your photo ID card visibly while driving.
New drivers or those who have added unbooked services to their accreditation must have their photo taken at a VicRoads office, if we do not already have their photo. The driver should take their photo capture letter (for new drivers) or driver accreditation certificate to VicRoads where staff will will take their photo.
The driver will receive their photo ID card by mail in around five to seven business days after their photo has been taken.
Multi Purpose Taxi Program (MPTP) smartcards are provided to accredited CPV drivers who nominate that they will be providing unbooked services.
At the start of each shift, these drivers must log on to the approved electronic transaction terminal in their vehicle that’s able to process MPTP payments. The driver must remain logged on at all times during their shift and log off at their shift’s end.
The MPTP card shows the driver’s name, driver licence number and driver accreditation number.
You must also be able to produce emergency vouchers should the vehicle’s terminal be unable to process an MPTP card.
To request vouchers, please note:
- a maximum of two (2) voucher books can be issued per vehicle
- only the vehicle registration owner can request emergency MPTP vouchers
- When requesting vouchers, the the following information must be provided:
- name of owner
- business address
- mobile number
- driver licence number
- accreditation number
- number plate(s)
Requests can be sent to mptp@safetransport.vic.gov.au.
Notifying us of changes
You must notify us within 14 days if:
- Your contact details change
- Your vehicle’s number plate changes
- If you are no longer the owner of the registered vehicle
- If you would like to use your registered vehicle to provide unbooked services.
Vehicle owner safety duties
Owners of CPV vehicles must ensure safe services. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Keeping their vehicle in a safe and serviceable condition.
- Following the regulations for providing or maintaining equipment or systems used in the vehicle
- Offering services to wheelchair users only if the vehicle meets wheelchair accessible vehicle specifications
- Providing the driver with sufficient information or instructions to ensure safe commercial passenger vehicle services.
You may also choose to enter into a driver agreement with your drivers.
Reporting incidents
If you employ an accredited driver to provide services using your registered vehicle, you must:
- Investigate and keep records of complaints
- Keep certain records on services provided, including information on fares.
There is no specific way you need to keep the records (for example, an Excel spreadsheet) however if Safe Transport Victoria requests your records, they must be supplied in the format requested.
If you work in the CPV industry, it is your duty to report any notifiable incidents to State Transport Victoria.
A notifiable incident is any incident where someone’s safety has been at risk. This can include:
- Serious injuries
- Death
- Accidents where someone was harmed.
Notifying us of such incidents enables us to monitor safety and risks within the CPV industry.
As a duty holder, drivers have a responsibility to notify us within 10 business days of becoming aware an incident has occurred.
It is an offence not to report a notifiable incident. The failure to do so may result in compliance action by State Transport Victoria.
Notifiable incidents must be reported via the ST Vic online form, which can be found here.
Common offences
Drivers should know and follow the law as it applies to providing a CPV service.
To help with this, this document shows the main offences committed by people providing a CPV service. For further information, please see www.legislation.vic.gov.au