DRIVE NOW March/April 2022

REPORT SUMMARY
INQUIRY INTO THE MPTP
1. THE MULTI PURPOSE TAXI PROGRAM
VICTORIA news
Below is a summary of the findings and recommendations by the Legislative Council Economy and Infrastructure Committee
(LCEI Committee). The full report on the Inquiry into the Multi Purpose Taxi Program can be found at https://bit.ly/37tJ8OB. It
includes full details on the findings, recommendations and rationale by the LCEI Committee. The Government has six months to
respond in writing to any recommendations made.
FINDING 1: The purpose of the Multi Purpose Taxi Program is to provide greater transport access to people
with a disability and people with mobility and accessibility needs through the provision of subsidised commercial
passenger vehicle fares.
RECOMMENDATION 1: That Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria identify and address ongoing issues
regarding data management with the Multi Purpose Taxi Program. Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria
should report to the Minister for Public Transport within six months of this report being tabled to outline:
• where the weaknesses in data management are occurring within the organisation
• what actions have been taken to rectify the problems.
2. EXPANSION OF THE MULTI PURPOSE TAXI PROGRAM
FINDING 2: The new ‘Invitation to Supply’ process for parties wishing to join the Multi Purpose Taxi Program as
a Data Collection Provider has improved the accessibility of information for applicants. It provides clear, detailed
information about the end-to-end application process and the requirements for successful completion.
RECOMMENDATION 2: To ensure that the Data Collection Provider Expansion Project is meeting its aim
to be open, transparent and fair to all potential providers, Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria should
undertake regular consultations with applicants on their view of the process. In particular, Commercial
Passenger Vehicles Victoria should:
• consult with applicants on opportunities for improving support during the application process
• establish consistent project timelines, including indicative turnaround times for Commercial Passenger
Vehicles Victoria to provide feedback/progress reports. These timelines should be clearly communicated to
applicants.
FINDING 3: The Multi Purpose Taxi Program’s Uber expansion trial ran from 25 March 2020 to 5 July 2020. The
trial involved six participants who undertook a total of 174 trips.
FINDING 4: The purpose of the Multi Purpose Taxi Program’s Uber expansion trial was primarily to test the
suitability of Uber’s technology for the program. However, the trial also assessed the experiences of trial
participants. For a trial assessing user experience, whether wholly or in part, six participants is not suitable. A larger
participant pool would be necessary to properly assess members’ experiences, especially given the diverse range
of experiences among people with a disability.
RECOMMENDATION 3: That Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria commission an independent survey of
Multi Purpose Taxi Program members’ experiences using Uber.
www.drivenow-magazine.com.au March/April 2022
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