New Central Booking Service for WATs

People with disabilities will soon be able to book a Wheelchair Accessible Taxi (WAT) in the Sydney Metropolitan Area in NSW using the Centralised Booking Service of Spinal Cord Injuries Australia (SCIA) – a company that supports people living with disabilities. The centralised booking service will commence from 1 March 2021.

Transport for NSW, after a thorough evaluation awarded the central booking service contract to SCIA, as it was seen as the most innovative and best value for money booking service provider for WATs in metropolitan Sydney.

Minister for Roads and Transport, Andrew Constance said that “25% of the staff at SCIA are people with disabilities which puts them in a unique position to understand the best way to assist customers in booking WATs. The services will be provided with phone and online bookings initially, followed by voice recognition software.”
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SCIA will also develop digital assistants, instant messaging and mobile applications with estimated vehicle arrival times and driver tracking capabilities. Furthermore, SCIA will also employ more people with disabilities to run this important service.

Known as the Centralised Booking Services in NSW, this contact centre accepts bookings for WATs in the Sydney metropolitan area and is a key part of the Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme (TTSS).

The TTSS in NSW provides participants with subsidised Taxi trips up to 50 percent of the total fare to a maximum of $60 per trip. Drivers of WATs receive $16.50 (incl. GST) incentive payment for trips taken by participants in wheelchairs.
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Taxis play an important part in helping people with a disability solve their transport needs. We look forward to working with the SCIA, as they look to implement this service.