Michael Ferguson,Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
We are supporting the taxi industry so it can continue transporting Tasmanians to vital health appointments and to access other essential services, like supermarkets.
This is particularly important for people with a disability, those with mobility issues and elderly Tasmanians.
Our taxi industry is experiencing a significant downturn in passengers due to the unprecedented COVID-19 restrictions, which is why we have introduced a number of measures to support the industry, including:
- To keep more taxis on the road, we are offering taxi operators with registration expiring between March 1, 2020, and September 30, 2020, with a free 12-month registration extension if the taxi continues to operate;
- For operators with registration expiring in the same period, who are not continuing to operate during the current restrictions, a freeze on registration is available, which can be unfrozen when operating conditions improve to get more taxis back on our roads faster;
- We will also extend the maximum operating age of taxis by six months for taxis that reach, or have reached, their maximum age*, between March 1, 2020, and September 30, 2020; and
- Given the current drop in demand, we are cancelling the annual release of new taxi licences statewide in 2020.
These assistance measures are about keeping taxis on the road now to support those in the community who rely on this vital service, as well as getting more taxis back on the roads when restrictions ease and demand returns.
