Wheelchair accessible taxi subsidy scheme
The wheelchair accessible taxi subsidy scheme helps country taxi operators buy wheelchair accessible taxis. To date, a total of 63 subsidy applications have been approved for new or replacement wheelchair accessible taxis across regional Victoria. This page provides an application form and guidelines for applying for the subsidy.
Information on this page
Application form and guidelines
- Applicants for a wheelchair accessible taxi subsidy in a town supporting nine or fewer taxis are not required to include a written statement by an accountant or financial planner with their application. Applicants at these locations should ignore Question 10 on the application form.
- There is no change to the financial capacity criterion for applicants for a wheelchair accessible taxi subsidy in a town supporting 10 or more taxis. Applicants in those locations must demonstrate why a subsidy is necessary in their financial circumstances and provide written confirmation by a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA), chartered accountant or qualified financial planner, together with supporting financial documents referred to in the guidelines and application form.
- Subsidy Scheme Guidelines - Purchase of Wheelchair Accessible Taxis to Operate on Country Taxi-cab Licences (PDF, 603 KB, 24 pp.) The guidelines include:
- eligibility criteria
- subsidy amounts based on the age of the vehicle and whether or not it is already a taxi and wheelchair-accessible
- step by step instructions on how to apply
- a specimen subsidy agreement.
Timelines
There is no closing date for applications. Applications will be assessed as quickly as possible.
If you are applying for a subsidy to buy a wheelchair accessible taxi to replace an existing taxi, you should lodge your application in enough time to buy the new vehicle, have it fitted out as a wheelchair accessible taxi, and coordinate its licensing with decommissioning the taxi you are replacing. To ensure this can be coordinated, you should lodge your application about six months before the date you intend the new vehicle to start service.
Background
The Country Taxi Services Review recommended that the Victorian Government introduce a vehicle purchase subsidy for country operators, to fund the difference in capital purchase cost between conventional taxis and wheelchair accessible taxis. The review recommended that applications be assessed on the basis of community need and the operator's financial capacity.
A total of $3.3 million has been allocated for the subsidy scheme, which aims to:
- maintain and improve the availability of wheelchair accessible taxis for people with a disability living in country towns
- make the operation of wheelchair accessible taxis more cost effective for the providers of taxi services.
For a copy of the Country Taxi Services Review report and the Department's response, please contact the VTD.
More information
For further information, contact the Victorian Taxi Directorate.