Transport Legislation Amendment (Taxi Services Reform and Other Matters) Act 2011

The Transport Legislation Amendment (Taxi Services Reform and Other Matters) Act 2011 (the Act) is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria, Australia to reform taxi and other small commercial passenger vehicle services in the State.

The Act amended the Transport Integration Act 2010 and the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983 to give force to the Taxi Industry Inquiry and to make other changes in the taxi and small commercial passenger vehicle services.

The Act was passed in late June 2011 and partially commenced by proclamation on 19 July 2011. The initial commencement operated to establish and empower the Taxi Services Commission and to give legislative force to the Taxi Industry Inquiry being conducted by the Commission. Provisions in the Act transferring regulatory responsibility to the Commission are yet to be activated.

The responsible Minister for the Act is the Minister for Public Transport, the Hon Terry Mulder MP.

The stated purpose of the Act is "...to provide for the reform of the commercial passenger vehicle industry...". In general, the Act establishes a regulatory scheme with the following key elements -

The Victorian Government's pursuit of the Act was driven by concerns about the ongoing poor performance of Victoria's taxi industry and the desire to establish an inquiry and signal long term organisational and regulatory changes.

An inquiry into the taxi industry was announced on 28 March 2011 by the Premier of Victoria, Ted Baillieu. The Premier advised that the inquiry would be headed by Professor Allan Fels, the former head of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Mr Baillieu said the Fels Inquiry’s key tasks would include improving disastrously low levels of public confidence, providing better security and support services for drivers and safety for customers, and ensuring drivers were properly trained and knowledgeable.

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