It’s easy for Paul Brooks to tell if the passenger jumping into the back of his taxi is up for a chat.

The veteran driver starts by offering different routes to get to the destination, which he says breaks the ice.

“That’s when they tend to start getting a bit chatty,” he says.

Mr Brooks has been driving in Melbourne for about 27 years, almost always on the night shift. 

Any Booking Entity Authorisation (BEA) holder who ends a work arrangement with a driver due to serious misconduct, must immediately let Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) know. 

This includes ending the work arrangement if the driver: 

• has committed a driver disqualifying offence 
  
• did not provide a public passenger service safely while driving a motor vehicle, such as driving unsafely 
  
• has committed an offence against a provision of relevant transport legislation relating to using a motor vehicle, such as the driver providing an unauthorised taxi or booked hire service 

Being awake for 17 hours can have a similar effect on your driving performance as a blood alcohol content of 0.05.

Fatigue is not just extreme exhaustion, but includes everyday mental or physical tiredness that affect a person’s ability to function.

​Fatigue reduces attentiveness and alertness to dangers, slows reaction times and can lead to microsleeps.

Tiredness can occur on any drive - no matter how long or short, or the time of day.

​Driving at night is when you are most at risk of tiredness, as well as after lunch and early in the morning.

Everyone involved with Queensland's personalised transport system – passengers, drivers and rank staff – is entitled to either a journey or a job free of verbal and physical abuse and intimidation.

​TMR expects that passengers, drivers and rank staff will behave respectfully to one another. This will further contribute to our state's reputation of having a first-class, professional, personalised transport industry that is safe, sustainable and accessible. There are likely to be individual consequences for abusive behaviour, and it will also affect other industries, such as tourism and hospitality, if Queensland's reputation as a safe, fun, family-friendly destination is put at risk by careless words or actions.

I strongly believe the report recently released by the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office (VAGO), that examines Victoria’s integrated transport planning, shows the Department of Transport (DoT) in a new light.

The audit report found that the documents provided by the DoT that were meant to proffer a view of its transport plan, fail to meet legislative requirements. In fact, it found a transport plan ABSENT.
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This lack of transparency is not good enough. Most of the documents referred to by the DoT are not publicly available nor accessible to other agencies or stakeholders.

Get To Know: Bruce Maguire, Lead Policy Advisor, Vision Australia

My name is Bruce Maguire, and I am the Lead Policy Advisor with Vision Australia. In that role I develop the organisation’s public positions on issues that affect the blind and low vision community, and I also write submissions to government and industry inquiries. As I am blind, I use Taxis quite a bit, and I think that taxi drivers can play a really important part in helping to make us feel more independent and included in the community. I have two adult children and became a grandfather last year.

1. If you could be anywhere other than here, right this minute, where would you be? — A: Drinking coffee on a hotel balcony overlooking the Jamison Valley in the Blue Mountains. 

Last month the Victorian Regulator’s CEO, Aaron de Rozario, finished his time with Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria (CPVV) and moved into a position with the National Transport Commission.

​Six years ago Mr de Rozario took over the helm from the acting CEO James Holyman, and at that time said that he “was looking forward to meeting Victorian stakeholders and working with the industry to ensure a sustainable future”.

​But, how did that work out? It was surprisingly not so good for Victorian stakeholders!

Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) has a team of dedicated transport inspectors focused on the personalised and passenger transport industry. These inspectors intercept and inspect personalised transport vehicles during the week and on weekends in peak periods.

The most common instances of non-compliance identified are:

• Defect notices for non-compliant tyres Defect notices for lights not working
• Defect notices for oil leaks
• Penalty Infringement Notices (PINs) for not displaying ride-booking signage
• PIN for parking in the incorrect zone (bus, taxi) or on a solid yellow line
• PIN for driving defective vehicle

I have been involved in the Taxi Industry for more than 35 years. I joined the NSW Taxi Industry while I was studying and wanted to earn extra income. I started as a Taxi driver and continued working in the industry in various roles like – fleet assistant, call centre operator, supervisor, customer service, and eventually General Manager and CEO. During this time, I have never asked anyone to do my job or take advantage of any position I’ve given.

1. Who is someone you admire and why?
I have always admired our past and present Diggers; Anzac Day is the most special day of the year for me. I have had the privilege of assisting the Taxi Industry with the Anzac Day March for the past 18 years. I also admire Nick Abrahim (Deputy CEO, NSW Taxi Council) for his dedication and offering his time for this special day.

You can now check the details of current taxi service licences and limousine licences using the personalised transport public register. The register also provides details of booked hire service licences and booking entity authorisations for the personalised transport industry in Queensland.

About the register
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The register provides information about current licences and about the vehicle stated in the licence. Suspended, cancelled, surrendered, or expired licences will not be displayed.