Victorian Taxi Safety Strategy
The Victorian Taxi Safety Strategy was established as an outcome of the
Taxi Industry Safety Taskforce. The Victorian Government has listened to the concerns of taxi drivers and has developed an eight-point plan to help make their jobs safer. The Government's approach is based on protecting, informing, training, supporting and listening to drivers.
Information on this page
Improved driver education
A new component of the reaccredited
Course in Taxi Driving, specifically aimed at preventing and dealing with violent confrontation, has been developed and will be completed by all new course applicants.
The Victorian Government will also undertake regular audits of the quality of taxi driver training delivery and will ensure that testing standards are rigorously enforced.
Safe city taxi ranks
Three new safe city taxi ranks have been introduced in Richmond, St Kilda and Brunswick.
Safe city taxi ranks are fully staffed by security personnel in peak times and provide a safer environment for passengers and drivers.
Support has been provided to continue the operation of existing safe ranks in Ballarat and Bendigo.
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Security cameras
A full review of camera technology leading to new specifications for the next generation of taxi cameras will be progressively phased in from January 2009.
Protection screens
To give taxi drivers additional safety when working during the late night and early morning hours, it will be mandatory for every taxi to have a driver protection screen installed between 10 pm and 5 am in the metropolitan, outer suburban and urban taxi zones by 31 December 2008.
Taxi driver safety pack
The Victorian Government has provided all active taxi drivers with a package of safety-related material, including a driver safety card and the handbook
Victorian Taxi Driver Safety: Your Guide to a Safer Workplace.
Victims of crime information
The Victorian Government will promote state-wide
victims of crime support services available to active taxi drivers with advice on how to get help.
A safer workplace
The Victorian WorkCover Authority is delivering a program of education and awareness around occupational health standards and requirements for taxi drivers, operators and networks.
- Fact sheet: a Safer Workplace (PDF, 191 KB, 2 pp.)
- WorkSafe fact sheet: Safety in the Taxi Industry - for Drivers (PDF, 158 KB, 2 pp.)
- WorkSafe fact sheet: Safety in the Taxi Industry - for Operators, Networks and Depots (PDF, 202 KB, 2 pp.)
- WorkSafe fact sheet: WorkSafe Insurance: a Guide for Taxi Operators (PDF, 53 KB, 2 pp.)
- A handbook for workplaces: Guide to safe work related driving (PDF, 3.91MB, 28 pp.)
Ongoing taxi driver support and representation
The Victorian Government is building stronger channels for taxi drivers to communicate with Government on important issues.
The
Taxi Drivers Advisory Group has been established. It will report to the Victorian Taxi Directorate on a regular basis and will provide feedback to drivers on Victorian Taxi Directorate and Government initiatives.
The
taxi drivers webpage has been designed so drivers have a central source of information which meets their needs.
The Victorian Taxi Directorate will also provide ongoing support to the Victorian Taxi Drivers Association.
More information
For more information: