Reducing intrusive behaviour and improving the safety for hundreds of thousands of women who catch Uber, Didi and taxis is the focus of new guidelines being issues to service providers by the Point to Point Commissioner.
While most journeys are safe, the data tells us women face greater risks of experiencing unwanted attention, intrusive comments or other behaviour which causes discomfort or fear.
Examples of this behaviour includes intrusive personal questions, inappropriate comments, staring or invading personal space - all behaviours that can reduce a woman's comfort or sense of safety.
Service providers have a clear responsibility under the law to manage risks to women's safety. This initiative will make sure all companies have strong systems in place to protect women's safety, including driver training in what constitutes as offensive or unprofessional behaviour towards women.
Developed in consultation with industry and the Women's Safety Commissioner the guidelines build on continuous enforcement of existing strong safety laws.
Focusing on driver conduct and behaviour, training and education and incident management the guidelines make clear industry obligations, and the Point-to-Point Transport Commissioner's expectations, in this area and:
- Provide examples and require driver training in offensive and unacceptable behaviour
- empower service providers to act by identifying best practice incident management
- the effective handling of incidents and complaints
- raise greater awareness to passengers of existing in-app and in-car safety features.
The Point to Point Transport Commission will also offer practical, online information sessions to service providers as well as rollout educational safety campaigns to community and industry.
Targeted enforcement will be delivered as part of the Commissioner's ongoing compliance program. These guidelines will help ensure there can be no excuse for a driver not understanding what is expected or a service provider not having safe systems in place.
If a passenger experiences or witnesses unsafe behaviour when travelling in a rideshare, taxi or hire vehicle in NSW, they should report it to the service provider in the first instance, or to the Point-to-Point Transport Commissioner via 131 727.
Minister for Transport John Graham said:
"Service providers have a clear responsibility under the law to protect the health and safety of passengers.
"I asked the Commissioner as his top priority to continue to reinforce safety standards and develop a culture of accountability within the point to point transport industry, and am very pleased to support these new guidelines in line with that priority. These guidelines provide clear guidance to service providers on their obligations.
"Whether you are travelling around town in the daytime, or out enjoying our vibrant city at night, this initiative will help ensure that every passenger on every rideshare, taxi and hire vehicle journey feels safe and respected."
Minister for Roads and Minister for Regional Transport, Jenny Aitchison said:
"Point to point transport is a critical service, and helps ensure that people can get where they want to go when they want to go, including at times they may be most vulnerable.
"Women everywhere, should feel confident when using transport to go about their lives. This is particularly important for women in the regions where there may not be other transport options.
"NSW already has strong safety laws but there is still more work to be done. These guidelines help educate industry how to practically implement these laws on a day to day basis, resulting in a safer and more connected NSW."
Minister for Women, Jodie Harrison said:
"Everyone deserves to feel safe when travelling in taxis and other rideshare services.
"Recent reports of harassment and inappropriate behaviour towards women in such services are unacceptable. It's time the industry prioritise women's safety and are aware of their obligations.
"These guidelines will help support service providers to make sure proper safety systems are in place and they are equipped to appropriately with reports of offensive or unacceptable behaviour. This is part of the Minns Government's wider work to build a safer New South Wales for women and girls. "
Point to Point Commissioner Anthony Wing said:
"Safety is my top priority, and these guidelines are an important step in driving positive change across the point to point transport industry. There is no place in this industry for inappropriate behaviour that makes women feel unsafe.
"I'll continue to work with service providers to ensure these resources are utilised and their safety management systems are updated in line with the guidelines. We will continue to roll out other initiatives in 2026 to support women's safety. It's on all of us to drive this change."
NSW Women's Safety Commissioner Dr Hannah Tonkin said:
"These guidelines are an important step in helping to create safer cities and towns for women across NSW and directly connect to other key initiatives I have been involved in such as the Women's Safety Charter for the Public Domain - Places and Transport. Everyone has a role to play in considering how we can promote women's safety and in doing so, make NSW a more welcoming and inclusive place for all people."
Head of Safety at Uber Australia and New Zealand, Nicole Ashcroft said:
"The safety of women on our platform is a top priority. We welcome the Point-to-Point Transport Commissioner's efforts to strengthen safety standards across the industry. We believe that consistent, industry-wide guidelines play an important role in helping women feel safer when they travel.
"Ongoing collaboration between government, industry and women's safety experts will be critical to ensuring these efforts are effective. We look forward to continuing to work together to help ensure every woman can travel with confidence."
Didi Head of External Affairs Dan Jordan said:
"At DiDi, we're proud to stand with the NSW Point to Point Transport Commission in strengthening the focus on women's safety across the point-to-point industry. Everyone deserves to feel safe and empowered when they travel, and we welcome clear, industry-wide guidelines that lift the bar across NSW's transport sector. We're committed to working together to deliver a safer, more supportive experience for women - both behind the wheel and in the back seat".
NSW Taxi Council CEO, Nick Abrahim said:
"The NSW taxi industry applies a high standard and expectation on drivers around safe and respectful service, particularly when it comes to women's safety. That is why the NSW Taxi Council supports and embraces the Women's Safety Industry Guidelines released by the NSW Point to Point Transport Commissioner. We are committed to a collaborative and cooperative approach with all stakeholders to ensure that taxi services always remain safe and inclusive for all members of the community."
