Overview
The Essential Services Commission determines the maximum fares for unbooked taxis in the Melbourne metropolitan zone (the metropolitan zone) and the urban and large regional zone (the urban zone). "Unbooked" refers to taxi trips that were not organised in advance for example, hailing a taxi on the street or getting a taxi from a taxi rank.
The commission is currently reviewing these maximum fares. It has published a draft decision paper on the unbooked taxi fare review 2020 and invites your feedback.
How does this affect you?
The commission’s decision on maximum fares may have financial impacts for you.
Taxi operators and drivers
The decision limits the amount you can charge taxi users.
Taxi users
The decision sets how much you might pay to use unbooked taxi services.
What we've done so far
As part of this review, the commission issued a consultation paper in April 2020 and sought feedback on the key issues in setting these maximum fares. The commission has received a number of submissions from stakeholders and it has taken that feedback into account in forming its draft decision.
What we're doing now
The release of the commission's draft decision paper is the second round of public consultation for the unbooked taxi fare review 2020. The purpose of the draft decision is to provide you with an opportunity to comment on the findings of the fare review before the commission makes a determination on maximum fares for unbooked taxi services.
Key facts from the draft decision
Maximum fares for unbooked taxi services will remain unchanged.
Keeping maximum fares unchanged will provide a level of stability for consumers and unbooked taxi service providers given the current impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the commercial passenger vehicles industry and the uncertainty about its future impact.
‘Time and distance’ tariffs should remain optional.
We also propose that the use of ‘time and distance’ tariffs should remain optional for now given resource constraints within the taxi industry brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Read our draft decision
Have your say
The commission wants your feedback on its draft decision to:
- keep maximum fares for unbooked taxi services unchanged, and
- keep the use of time and distance tariffs optional at this stage.
You can have your say on this page by:
- posting a question or comment in our virtual public forum for a response by our team within 3 days
- providing us with some general comments about our draft decision paper
- responding to our stakeholder survey, or
- uploading a formal submission document.
We also held a virtual public forum on 27 July 2020 from 2.00 pm to 3.15 pm.
Public consultation on our draft decision paper closed on 31 July 2020.
The commission will have regard to the feedback received from stakeholders when it develops its final decision. The commission will release the final decision paper and price determination in September 2020. The price determination will take effect on 1 October 2020.
Our virtual public forum
You can ask us questions or provide us with feedback for us to respond to. We will try to reply within 3 business days. All questions will be reviewed for offensive content before being published.
General comments
General comments
Collection notice
As part of making a submission, we need you to provide personal information, such as your name, email address, town of residence and postcode. We will use this information to send you updates about this review.
It is our policy to publish all submissions to reviews on the Essential Services Commission website. This process may involve publishing your personal information (your name, not your address). You can request anonymity by selecting the relevant tickbox.
We may also collect personal information when you email us with a query. Aside from any exceptions in relevant privacy legislation, we will not use or disclose the information you provide for any purpose other than to progress and respond to your query.
You have the right to access personal information we hold about you. We may ask you to pay a small fee for this. You can also request that we correct your personal information in our records at no charge.
Requesting anonymity
You can request anonymity by selecting the relevant tickbox on this page. Depending on the circumstances, requesting anonymity may affect the weight we can give to your submission. Information that influences our decisions generally needs to be disclosed so stakeholders can understand the reasons for our findings.
Read more information about our submissions policy.
About us
The Essential Services Commission is an independent regulator that promotes the long term interests of Victorian consumers with respect to the price, quality and reliability of essential services. We regulate Victoria’s energy, water and transport sectors, and administer the local government Fair Go Rates system.
Consultation questions
Collection notice
As part of making a submission, we need you to provide personal information, such as your name, email address, town of residence and postcode. We will use this information to send you updates about this review.
It is our policy to publish all submissions to reviews on the Essential Services Commission website. This process may involve publishing your personal information (your name, not your address). You can request anonymity by selecting the relevant tickbox.
We may also collect personal information when you email us with a query. Aside from any exceptions in relevant privacy legislation, we will not use or disclose the information you provide for any purpose other than to progress and respond to your query.
You have the right to access personal information we hold about you. We may ask you to pay a small fee for this. You can also request that we correct your personal information in our records at no charge.
Requesting anonymity
You can request anonymity by selecting the relevant tickbox on this page. Depending on the circumstances, requesting anonymity may affect the weight we can give to your submission. Information that influences our decisions generally needs to be disclosed so stakeholders can understand the reasons for our findings.
Read more information about our submissions policy.
About us
The Essential Services Commission is an independent regulator that promotes the long term interests of Victorian consumers with respect to the price, quality and reliability of essential services. We regulate Victoria’s energy, water and transport sectors, and administer the local government Fair Go Rates system.
Upload submission
Upload a formal submission
Collection notice
As part of making a submission, we need you to provide personal information, such as your name, email address, town of residence and postcode. We will use this information to send you updates about this review.
It is our policy to publish all submissions to reviews on the Essential Services Commission website. This process may involve publishing your personal information (your name, not your address). You can request anonymity by selecting the relevant tickbox.
We may also collect personal information when you email us with a query. Aside from any exceptions in relevant privacy legislation, we will not use or disclose the information you provide for any purpose other than to progress and respond to your query.
You have the right to access personal information we hold about you. We may ask you to pay a small fee for this. You can also request that we correct your personal information in our records at no charge.
Requesting anonymity
You can request anonymity by selecting the relevant tickbox on this page. Depending on the circumstances, requesting anonymity may affect the weight we can give to your submission. Information that influences our decisions generally needs to be disclosed so stakeholders can understand the reasons for our findings.
Read more information about our submissions policy.
About us
The Essential Services Commission is an independent regulator that promotes the long term interests of Victorian consumers with respect to the price, quality and reliability of essential services. We regulate Victoria’s energy, water and transport sectors, and administer the local government Fair Go Rates system.
