CPV industry reforms

Booking Service Providers and drivers will need to report a wider range of incidents to ST Vic.

This will help ST Vic better understand and respond to safety concerns across the CPV industry.

From 1 August 2026, notifiable incident reporting will expand to include incidents or complaints relating to:

• a driver charging, asking or allegedly asking for more than the permitted fare
• the imposition or collection, or alleged imposition or collection, of an excessive non-cash payment surcharge
• the refusal, or alleged refusal, of an assistance animal
• a driver refusing, or allegedly refusing, to provide a CPV service
• complaints made to a Booking Service Provider or police officer that involve allegations of:
  • sexual assault
  • sexual harassment
  • indecent exposure
  • assault
  • physical threats
  • other intimidation.

ST Vic will provide further guidance before these changes commence, including any updates to reporting forms or processes.

From 1 July 2026, ST Vic will publish details of formal disciplinary actions on the CPV Public Register.

This includes the driver’s name, the outcome of the action and a short description of what happened. Only disciplinary action taken from 1 July 2026 will be included, and only after appeal timeframes have passed. Warnings and education actions will not be published.

Drivers and vehicle owners do not need to do anything for this change.

From July 1 2026, the “two-strikes and you’re out” rule is in effect. This means drivers may lose their accreditation if they are found guilty of two or more of these offences within 10 years.

This rule applies to repeat offending involving:

• charging or asking for more than the permitted fare for an unbooked service
• charging an excessive non-cash payment surcharge
• not using the fare calculation device when required
• not stopping the fare calculation device at the end of the trip
• not providing a receipt when requested
• refusing to carry an assistance animal

From 1 August 2026, refusing to provide an unbooked CPV service without a valid exception will be added to this list.

This reform targets serious and repeated misconduct, not one-off mistakes.

From 1 August 2026, as part of the ‘two-strikes rule’ a new service refusal rule will apply to unbooked CPV services, including rank-and-hail services.

A driver who is available to provide an unbooked CPV service must not refuse to provide that service to a passenger unless a valid exception applies.

Exceptions may apply where:

• the passenger, or someone with them, is abusive, aggressive or violent
• the driver reasonably believes the passenger, or someone with them, poses a safety risk
• the number of passengers is more than the number of available seatbelts
• the passenger, or someone with them, is drinking alcohol or smoking and refuses to stop when asked
• the passenger, or something they are carrying, is likely to soil the vehicle
• the driver reasonably believes the passenger will not pay the fare
• a valid destination sign is displayed and the passenger’s requested trip is outside the area covered by that sign.

If a driver is found to have refused service unlawfully, the maximum penalty is 5 penalty units.

These changes are designed to reduce unfair service refusals, including refusals of short trips.

Assistance animal refusals are also being addressed through related reform changes, including the expansion of the two-strikes framework (above).

Training requirements for drivers of wheelchair accessible vehicles are being strengthened to support safer and more accessible services for passengers with disability.

ST Vic will provide more information to industry before any new training requirements commence later in 2026.

From 1 July 2026, updated camera and audio requirements come into effect – these changes are captured in the Minimum Standards.

Dashcams are not approved security cameras and must not be used as approved CPV security cameras.

For drivers:

From 1 July 2026, drivers must provide information about the Booking Service Provider or providers they are affiliated with.

Drivers can update their affiliation details through the ST Vic User Portal. Drivers should complete this by 1 September 2026.

If drivers are affiliated with more than one BSP, they should include each provider.

Drivers must provide or confirm their BSP affiliation details when they apply for accreditation, renew their accreditation, or within five business days if their circumstances change.

Keeping affiliation information current is a condition of driver accreditation. Failure to maintain accurate details may be considered as part of future compliance or disciplinary action.

For Booking Service Providers:

BSPs must provide information about affiliated drivers.

BSPs that already report trip data to ST Vic will be able to provide required information through their usual reporting arrangements, and must now include data on unbooked trips.

BSPs that do not currently report trip data to ST Vic will receive separate information about what they need to provide, how to provide it and when it is due. This is a condition of registration. These direct emails from ST Vic will be sent in July 2026.

From July 1 2026, drivers must not display signage for a BSP unless they are associated with that BSP. Drivers may display more than one sign as long as they are registered and active with that BSP.

If a driver is caught with misleading signage, they can be charged up to 5 penalty units.

From 1 March 2026, QR codes are mandatory in commercial passenger vehicles.

The QR code allows passengers to quickly report unsafe or unfair behaviour directly to ST Vic.

QR codes are a simple, visible tool that:

• help passengers report issues more easily
• reinforce the professionalism of drivers and BSPs doing the right thing
• provide consistent statewide reporting pathways

Find out more, including how to get your QR code here.