Using your vehicle to provide CPV services
If you want to use your vehicle to provide CPV services in Victoria, you must:
- register it with us and decide which kinds of trips you want to offer
- pass a vehicle inspection
ensure proper vehicle identification is displayed.
You must own the vehicle in order to register it with us. This includes joint ownership or using it under a hire-purchase agreement.
The vehicle cannot already be registered as a CPV; you can check if it is on the Public Register.
Your vehicle’s registration fee is paid annually. If you do not pay your vehicle’s annual registration fee by the date specified on your invoice, your vehicle’s registration as a CPV will be cancelled.
Please note that application fees are non-refundable.
| Vehicle registration | Current fee |
| Commercial passenger vehicle registration application | $55.10 |
| Commercial passenger vehicle annual fee | $55.10 |
You can register your vehicle and pay the registration fee using the online portal. You will be asked to enter your vehicle identification number (VIN) and vehicle registration number on the online form.
Create a portal account or log in here.
Third party property damage insurance is not required by law. However, it is highly recommended that vehicle owners have insurance appropriate to the type of service they provide. Some insurers have insurance specific to CPV services.
When you register your vehicle with Safe Transport Victoria, you will need to nominate whether you will provide unbooked (taxi rank and hail) services in addition to booked services.
All approved registrations will be able to provide booked services.
VicRoads offers VH number plates for vehicles registered to provide booked services. They are not available for vehicles which provide booked and unbooked services. To obtain VH plates, visit VicRoads or contact the VicRoads Customer Service Centre on 13 11 71.
Using your vehicle for unbooked (taxi rank and hail) services:
Vehicles providing unbooked services need to meet additional requirements, including:
- clearly displaying fare information on the inside and outside of the vehicle
- functioning fare calculation devices which need to comply with fare calculation device specifications
- security cameras, which must operate during all unbooked services starting in the Melbourne metropolitan zone or the urban and large regional zone. They must adhere to security camera specifications
- authorised number plates which identify that the vehicle can lawfully provide unbooked services.
Vehicles registered to provide unbooked services must be able to provide Multi Purpose Taxi Program (MPTP) trips. This means they must have:
- fitted electronic transaction terminals that can process MPTP transactions
- fitted tactile registration number signs on the exterior of passenger doors, forward of, or level with, the door handles.
Using your vehicle to provide wheelchair accessible services:
You must nominate on the online form if you intend to use the vehicle to provide wheelchair accessible services.
Wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) are designed or modified to carry one or more people seated in wheelchairs (depending upon the vehicle type) and between four and 11 passengers when not configured to carry wheelchairs.
CPVs which provide wheelchair accessible services must:
- be modified to carry people using a wheelchair, and
- comply with the specifications for WAVs relating to accommodation space, hoist and ramp requirements, and restraint systems.
WAVs are required to give priority to bookings by people who use wheelchairs but may be used to carry other passengers when not engaged with wheelchair bookings.
Applicants who require a new number plate in regional or country areas will be allocated either R or C plates, as these can now be used interchangeably throughout these areas. This will not affect lifting fees, as they are the same in regional and country areas.
You must provide a certificate of roadworthiness (RWC) from an authorised Victorian Licensed Vehicle Tester. The inspection should occur after all equipment, including security cameras (if applicable), wheelchair hoists (if applicable), fare calculation devices and payment terminals have been installed.
Failure to provide a post-installation RWC will result in the vehicle’s rejection.
It is a legal requirement for CPVs to display identification while in service to be easily identified. Failure to do so may result in a penalty or fine.
Identification can be in the form of:
- taxi number plates (issued via VicRoads)
- VH, VHA, VHB and VHC number plates (issued via VicRoads)
- a sign that identifies the vehicle as a CPV. This may include company branding of a registered BSP, or logos that clearly identify the vehicle as a CPV.
- Please note: This must be placed in an area where it can’t be removed by a person sitting in the driver’s seat. For example, on the rear passenger window on the opposite side of the vehicle to the driver’s seat.
If you no longer require your CPV registration or have sold your vehicle, you can surrender this CPV registration online via the user portal.
Follow these steps:
- Login to the user portal. If you don’t already have an account, you will need to sign up for one.
- Click the ‘surrender’ button to the right of your CPV registration, as it appears on the user portal.
- When the dialog box appears, select ‘confirm’ to proceed. This action will immediately surrender the CPV registration for the vehicle.
Once you have surrendered the CPV registration, your vehicle plate number will no longer appear on the Public Register and your vehicle will not be able to provide CPV services. An email notification will be sent to confirm your CPV registration has been surrendered.
If you wish to resume CPV services using your vehicle, you will need to register it again.
Using someone else’s vehicle to provide CPV services
If you have a driver accreditation and wish to use someone else’s registered CPV, you need to enter a driver agreement.
A driver agreement is not entered into when the driver is:
- providing booked commercial passenger vehicle services for a booking service provider (BSP) using the driver’s own car, or
- in an agreement to purchase the vehicle from the owner.
The driver agreement has rules that automatically apply to all drivers, even if they’re not written down in the agreement between the driver and owner. These include:
1. A minimum percentage of fares
The driver must receive at least 55 per cent of the gross fares earned while they have possession of the vehicle.
2. Monthly records
The vehicle owner must keep, and provide to the driver on a monthly basis, records of:
- all payments made between the owner and driver
- all shifts worked by the driver
- the total fares earned during each shift.
3. Maintenance costs
The owner must reimburse the driver within seven days for all costs involved in running the vehicle, including but not limited to:
- fuel
- repairs
- oils
- vehicle livery and equipment
- lubricants
- tyres.
The owner may nominate where the repair work is to be done, or where the fuel or other items are purchased from
4. Termination
The driver or owner may terminate the driver agreement with two weeks’ written notice, or immediately if there has been a breach of the agreement.
5. Owner to insure and indemnify
The owner must maintain an insurance policy, issued by an authorised insurer under the Insurance Act 1973 (Cth), which covers the driver against liability for third party property damage. The insurance policy must provide cover of at least $5 million for each vehicle and be issued in the vehicle owner’s name.
This means that if the driver has an accident while driving the vehicle and causes damage to another person’s property, the owner’s insurance policy should cover the cost of this damage.
The owner must also indemnify the driver for the cost of any vehicle damage caused through the driver’s use of the vehicle (except that the owner may claim against any bond held). ‘Indemnify’ means to compensate or protect someone from financial loss, damage or liability.
6. Owner to pay insurance excess
If the owner makes a claim on the insurance policy, the owner must pay the excess.
The owner must ensure that the insurance policy is current, and must give the driver a copy on request.
7. Leave entitlements
If the driver has worked for the owner regularly (three or more shifts per week) for 12 months or more, the driver may take up to four weeks’ unpaid leave, on dates agreed with the owner
8. Bond
The owner can ask the driver to pay a bond of up to $1,000, either all at once or in smaller amounts for each shift (as agreed in writing). The owner can only use the bond if the driver doesn’t pay their share of fares or if the driver damages the vehicle or equipment.
To use the bond, the owner must:
- give the driver a receipt, and deposit the bond in a designated bank account
- notify the driver in writing before using the bond, and allow the driver 14 days to object, and
- refund the balance to the driver, with interest, within 14 days of the driver agreement being terminated.
For example: If the owner has only collected $200 from the driver, they can only use $200 of the bond to cover any damage or disputes. The driver can’t be made to pay the difference later.
A party to a driver agreement found to have breached one of the implied conditions may be prosecuted under section 98 of the Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry Act 2017.
We have a process for resolving disputes between drivers and vehicle owners. Here are the steps:
- The person with the complaint must tell the other person in writing.
- Within seven days, the parties must meet to try to resolve the dispute.
- If they are unable to resolve it, they can use our dispute resolution process.
- We’ll assess the dispute and decide if we can help by giving advice or by taking action against a person’s accreditation or vehicle registration.
- If we need more information from the person who made the complaint, we’ll give them 14 days to provide it. If they don’t provide it, we’ll do what we can to help and may close the case.
- If the parties still can’t resolve the dispute, we may issue a certificate that lets them go to the Victorian Small Business Commissioner (VSBC) or Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) for help. If the dispute isn’t resolved through mediation with the VSBC, they may issue a certificate allowing one or both parties to go to VCAT.
The parties must go through our dispute resolution process before going to either the VSBC or VCAT.
We encourage parties to try to resolve disputes between themselves, wherever possible, at the earliest possible stage.
Parties may contact us about a dispute on 1800 638 802.
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.
A list of approved security cameras can be found here.
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.
The security camera specification outlines the basic requirements for how security cameras should work, protect data and produce clear images in commercial passenger vehicles.
Before installing a new camera, you need to apply for approval via the Security Camera Specifications and Approval Process Guidelines.
Following the report of an incident to Safe Transport Victoria 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. Vehicle 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 in a commercial passenger vehicle. This covers recordings made on all devices, including mobile phones, security cameras and dictaphones. Substantial penalties apply for non-compliance.
Lost or damaged plates
A replacement for damaged unbooked (taxi) plates can be ordered from VicRoads, who will inform you once the new plates are ready to be collected. You must return any damaged plates to them when you receive the replacement.
If your plates are lost or stolen, contact us to request a new set of plates. You will be asked to provide the following details: **
- registered CPV owner name(s)
- commercial passenger vehicle (CPV) registration number
- business or residential address
- email address or contact phone number
- current plate number (for example, M1234)
- number of plates lost or stolen
- a police report (or police report number) that has all the above details noted.
- Please note that sometimes Victoria Police will only issue you with a police report number, rather than an actual report document. If this occurs, please send a statutory declaration containing all the above information, including the police report number you received regarding this matter.
** Failure to provide all this information may result in delays to this process and the replacement of your plates.
After you request a new set of plates from Safe Transport Victoria, we will:
- update your CPV registration and send you an email confirming your new plate number. We will also send you an Authority to Register (ATR) form. A copy of this form will be sent to VicRoads along with your new plates.
- ask you to confirm the details of your vehicle registration appointment at either VicRoads or Road Safety Inspections. Please respond to this request at least seven days before your appointment so we can ensure your new plates have arrived for your inspection.
- Send your new plates to the location you specified and update the Public Register on the day of your inspection appointment.
Note that lost or stolen plates cannot be reissued and must be replaced with a new number.