The Multi Purpose Taxi Program (MPTP) assists with the travel needs of people with accessibility and mobility needs by offering subsidised CPV fares to members.

Members get 50 per cent off the total fare, up to $60, with some restrictions.

Most taxi (unbooked) providers accept MPTP member cards, however not all of them. It is best to check with providers before booking.

Rideshare services Oiii and Uber offer MPTP services.

MPTP members will notice a different process when using Oiii vehicles in Melbourne.

Oiii vehicles in Melbourne process MPTP members’ trips by using a tablet as a card reader, GPS, and trip meter to display the driver’s ID, record member details, calculate subsidies, and process payments.

This does not affect member entitlements. Members will only encounter this if they book an Oiii vehicle via the app, hail one on the street, or hire one at a taxi rank. Other commercial vehicles still use EFTPOS to check eligibility and calculate fare subsidies.

For information about Oiii’s services visit the Oiii website.

MPTP members in Victoria can get 50% subsidy on UberX, Assist, UberXL, Comfort and Premier services. Trips count towards the subsidy limit.

Uber can carry collapsible wheelchairs or mobility scooters, but does not offer wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV).

How it works:

  1. Download the Uber app to your smartphone, if you don’t have it yet.
  2. Complete the online form to join the program and include your email address and MPTP member card number.
  3. Enter your destination on the Uber app.
  4. Request a ride Request a ride via UberX – or use Uber Assist for additional service getting into and out of the vehicle. Members can also choose UberXL, Uber Comfort or Uber Premier.
  5. The 50% discount up to $60 will be applied automatically. Your MPTP subsidy will continue as long as you have a balance remaining.

Eligibility

The Victorian Government wants to make sure that the MPTP is helping the people who need it most. There are three main criteria you must meet in order to be eligible for the program.

Residential criteria

 

 You must be a permanent resident of Australia and live in Victoria.
Medical criteria

 

 You must have:

  • a severe disability that prevents you from safely and independently using public transport
  • a permanent disability
  • a disability that is not likely to improve with treatment.
Financial criteria

 

 You need to demonstrate financial hardship by supplying a Notice of Assessment from the last financial year or hold one of the following:

  • a Centrelink issued concession card (such as the Aged Pension or Disability Support Pension)
  • a Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) card (for example, Gold Repatriation Health card) or an EDA (Extreme Disablement Adjustment) or TPI (Totally and Permanently Incapacitated) notation.

Passengers who require the use of a wheelchair are permanently exempt from the financial hardship test.

How to apply for MPTP membership

Applying to be a MPTP member

Step 1

A medical assessment is to be completed online by your doctor.

Step 2

Once this medical Assessment is received by Safe Transport Victoria a request to consent will be posted to you.
When you have completed the request to consent, send it back to us using the details provided. Once we receive your consent, please allow 14 working days for a decision to be made.

Step 3

We will notify you in writing about the outcome of your application. Final responsibility for accepting or rejecting an applicant’s membership rests with ST Vic. If your application is successful, we will issue you with an invoice for your MPTP card. When your card arrives, a letter will detail any restrictions.

Online application form (doctors only)

Doctors who are assessing their patient’s eligibility for the MPTP program need to use the online form.

For further information please contact us on 1800 638 802.

 

 

How to use your MPTP card

For trips across Victoria, contact an eligible booking service provider or depot. You can also try booking a driver directly if they accept MPTP cards.

If you’re hailing a service from a taxi rank or on the street, make sure to ask if they can process the MPTP subsidy at the start of your trip. You can also ask for a fare estimate before you begin your journey.

  • advise your driver upfront that you have an MPTP card
  • give your MPTP card to the driver
  • advise the driver of your preferred route and if you would like to avoid toll roads
  • always ask the driver for a receipt
  • be sure to get your card back from the driver at the end of your trip. The driver should NOT keep it.

Please note:

  • you must be travelling in the vehicle when the MPTP card is used
  • carers, family members or friends may travel in the vehicle with you
  • your MPTP card should NOT be given to others to use, including carers, family members or friends
  • unbooked services (ones you hail from the street or at a taxi rank) from metropolitan Melbourne or large regional areas are required to have security cameras. Booked services (those you organise through an app or over the phone) are not required to have cameras
  • you must not use your MPTP card to send parcels or packages in a commercial passenger vehicle
  • if the machine in the vehicle doesn’t work then the driver can use an emergency paper voucher so you can still receive the subsidy for the trip. Remember to get a receipt for your trip
  • if your card is damaged and does not work you will need to pay the full fare. Be sure to get an electronic receipt which you can send to us for a possible reimbursement.

You’re still entitled to the same subsidy when travelling in taxis or rideshares interstate. However, you will need an interstate paper voucher instead of your MPTP card.

You must contact us three to six weeks before you travel to ensure these vouchers can get to you in time.

What if I’m a member of another state or territory’s transport subsidy scheme?

You can apply for an interstate voucher issued by the commercial passenger vehicle regulator in your home state (you cannot use these in rideshare or hire cars).

Many people living in Victoria’s border communities have economic and social networks that extend into New South Wales and South Australia.

We want to make sure that MPTP members in border communities are able to access these networks.

Registered NSW vehicles can operate in Victoria as CPVs, but they might not have the equipment to process MPTP transactions. Check with your booking service provider to see if they do. If not, pay in full and send the receipt to Safe Transport Victoria for reimbursement.

If your trip commences in NSW, you will need an interstate paper voucher instead of your MPTP card. Contact us no less than five working days before you travel to get the vouchers you need.

Restrictions and yearly limit

The MPTP card cannot be used in conjunction with any other government funded program that either covers the entire fare or a portion of the fare.

Yearly limit

Members are entitled to half the fare being covered up to a maximum subsidy coverage of $60 per trip and a subsidy cap of $2,180 per financial year.

If you require an additional subsidy, call us on 1800 638 802 between 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday, or email us.

Update your details

Six weeks before your MPTP card expires, an invoice for a new card will be sent to you. A new card costs $16.50 and is valid for six years.

When you receive your new card, throw away the old card as it will not work after its expiry date. Continuing to use an expired card will make you ineligible for reimbursement for those taxi trips.

Please let us know if you’ve moved address or if there have been any changes in your circumstances, such as no longer being able to sign your name or if you are now using a wheelchair all the time.

You or your authorised representative can contact us by phone (1800 638 802) or in writing to update your details. You must include the following:

  • your full name
  • date of birth
  • old address
  • new address
  • new telephone number, if you have one.

Lost or stolen cards

If your MPTP card is lost or stolen, call us on 1800 638 802 between 8.30 am to 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday, or email the MPTP team. By reporting to our team as soon as possible, we can activate the card’s security features to prevent someone else from using it.

Your old card will be cancelled, and a new card will be ordered for you, which will cost $16.50. If you provide a stolen property report from Victoria Police, this fee will be waived.

Please allow four to five working days after we receive payment for your card to arrive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. I have a driver licence. Can I still apply for a MPTP card?A. Yes, you can still apply for a MPTP card, having a driver’s licence has no bearing on your eligibility with the MPTP program.

Q. As an older person do I automatically meet the criteria to receive a MPTP card?A. To be eligible for a MPTP card you must have a severe, permanent disability or illness that is unlikely to improve with treatment in regards to the use of public transport. Being an older person does not mean you automatically meet the criteria to receive a MPTP card.

Terms and Conditions

This page provides information on the terms and conditions for the use of Multi Purpose Taxi Program (MPTP) cards in Victoria.

  1. The MPTP card can only be used by the person whose details are printed on the card.
  2. The MPTP card can only be used for travel in vehicles registered as commercial passenger vehicles in the provision of unbooked commercial passenger vehicle services, or with interstate vouchers from Safe Transport Victoria in interstate taxis.
  3. The MPTP member must be travelling in the vehicle to receive the subsidy for that trip. Carers, companions or family members may travel in the vehicle with the MPTP member.
  4. Only one subsidy applies to any single trip.
  5. The MPTP card is not transferable and must not be used by anyone other than the member whose details appear on the card.
  6. The MPTP card cannot be used to send parcels or packages in a vehicle.
  7. Other than during trip, the MPTP member or carer must keep the card in their possession at all times.
  8. MPTP membership does not guarantee that appropriate commercial passenger vehicle transport will be available on request.
  9. The MPTP card cannot be used with any other transport concessions or subsidies. If a trip, or part of a trip, is covered by insurance (for example, by the Transport Accident Commission), or paid for by any state or Commonwealth department or agency, the MPTP card can’t be used.
  10. MPTP membership will be cancelled if the member’s circumstances change and the member stops being eligible.
  11. The MPTP member who has been given an exemption from eligibility or the annual subsidy cap may have that exemption withdrawn, cancelled or amended.
  12. The MPTP member must report inappropriate or suspicious use of an MPTP card to us as soon as possible.
  13. The MPTP member must report the loss or theft of an MPTP card to us as soon as possible.
  14. MPTP membership may be cancelled if a member does not comply with these terms and conditions. Safe Transport Victoria may also take legal action.
  15. It is understood that the applicant or the authorised representative understands and accepts the terms and conditions of MPTP membership when they sign an application form.
  16. The MPTP member understands and accepts the terms of our Privacy Statement, a copy of which is provided when he or she signs this application form.
  17. The MPTP member must not travel in a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle when using a tilting or reclining mobile chair as a mobility aid. These include high care chairs/beds, ‘princess’, ‘duchess’ or ‘tub’ chairs.
  18. The MPTP member must notify us if they are currently or have been an accredited driver or permit holder of a commercial passenger vehicle.