Passengers travelling with a wheelchair, scooter or large (ride-on) mobility aide will be able to access transport more easily with the rollout of a new Access Taxi Card for people who are not members of the South Australian Transport Subsidy Scheme (SATSS).
The $25 lifting fee, which is funded by the South Australian Government and is currently available to SATSS members, supports taxi drivers to assist passengers with a mobility device, helping customers to receive a consistent, accessible and reliable taxi ride.
The new Access Taxi Card, which will be mailed to eligible registered customers from December this year, will allow passengers who are not SATSS members but need to use this service to present the card to drivers for the lifting fee to be applied. The trip will need to be booked through the Access Taxi booking service.
This initiative follows consultation with the access taxi industry as well as concerns aired by some customers about difficulties accessing the service. This new arrangement will broaden availability for access taxi service users, with non-SATSS clients able to receive the same level of responsiveness as current SATSS passengers.
As part of these changes, SATSS members will also be able to use multiple trip subsidies on longer journeys, currently only available to regional customers.
With a non-SATSS Access Taxi Card, passengers can also access real time journey information and set automatic travel notifications for carers or personal contacts, such as a friend or family member, when they use an Access Taxi.
As we near the festive period a $25 lifting fee will automatically be applied to all eligible trips from 1 December 2023 through to 30 June 2024 booked through the Access Taxi Centralised Booking Service.
As put by Tom Koutsantonis
We have listened to the concerns of the industry and passengers and will extend the lifting fee to more customers.
Not everyone who books a trip through the Access Taxi booking service is a SATSS member. They may have a temporary injury or might not require ongoing mobility support, yet they can sometimes be overlooked and left waiting to be picked up from their home or appointment.
Currently the $25 lifting fee only applies to trips booked by SATSS members - by extending it we can help ensure that no one misses out and that passengers can access a more consistent and fair service.
The State Government continues to work with stakeholders as we develop further changes to improve a service that continues to suffer from service challenges. We are particularly keen to ensure that access taxi services can be accessed at all times of the day and night.
As put by Transport Workers Union SA/NT Branch Secretary Ian Smith
This is a big win for our community.
Access taxis operators provide a vital service and our drivers work tirelessly every day to support their passengers, some of the most vulnerable members of our community.
Costs keep rising across the transport sector, putting immense pressure on small businesses. It's critical that we support drivers and ensure that they can continue to provide a quality service for all South Australians.
This is an important step towards making our industry safer, fairer and more sustainable now and into the future.
