Taxi licences out for lease

Four multi-purpose taxi licences have been advertised for lease, the last of the eight the WA Government promised to release this year.

Those plates are for taxis that are predominantly used to transport wheelchair-bound people.

The Government is trying to encourage people with experience in the aged or disability sectors to apply for the plates.

These cabs have to have a hydraulic lifting device for wheelchair-bound passengers and capacity to carry two people in wheelchairs.

However, when they are not being used to carry people in wheelchairs, the cabs can be converted to carry up to six people.

They can operate as a normal taxi but have to give priority to wheelchair-bound or disabled passengers.

Unlike the other type of taxi plates, a person does not have to be a licensed taxi driver to apply for a multi-purpose taxi licence.

However, they do have to complete their taxi driver’s licence before they take on the plates.

Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said a potential multi-purpose taxi driver would need excellent communication, customer service and driving skills and good time-management abilities.

"Experience working with people with disabilities or the aged, either in a professional or voluntary capacity, is a real advantage," she said.

There is an increasing demand for MPTs due to an ageing population and the continuing integration of people with disabilities into the mainstream community and workplace.

While the Government has only released eight MPT licences this year, it plans to release 12 a year for the next four years from 2005.

Along with those multi-purpose plates a further 10 conventional, 12 peak period and two restricted area taxi plates are also up for grabs.

Conventional taxis are the sedan or station wagon-type cabs in common use.

The peak period taxis are only allow-ed to operate for 26 hours a week, running from 5pm Friday to 6am Saturday and 5pm Saturday to 6am Sunday.

Restricted area plates are bound by geographical locations.

In the latest tranche of licences being released, the two restricted area plates are for the Swan Hills area.

The leasing of those 28 plates will bring to 76 the number of plates the Government has released for lease this year, the first year it has taken such a step.

That means there will be 1,190 taxi licences available.

The Government also plans to release 28 taxi plates for lease spread between the restricted area, conventional and peak period operations.

It costs $250 a year to lease a set of conventional taxi plates, $100 a year to lease MPT plates, $100 a year for area restricted plates and $50 a year for peak period plates.

Prior to the Government introducing its leasing policy, taxi plates were owned by individuals or other entities.

They were traded between drivers with the going rate around $200,000.

Of the 1,190 taxi plates operating, only 76 of those are owned by the Government.