​Snippets of Rod Barton MP's guest speaker appearance at the recent TAA General Meeting (25/06/20).

To view the full recording you must be a financial member. If you are, click here to watch it.

Victorian government have announced a $22.7million COVID-19 assistance package for the CPV industry – one of the largest support packages in the country for the taxi and hire car industry and it will be implemented in August 2020.

It includes:-

• Doubling the wheelchair lifting fee from $20.80 to $41.60 per lift for accessible vehicles
• Increasing the MPTP fund from 50 percent to 70 percent

One of the largest support packages in the country for the taxi and hire car industry.
 
Victorian government has announced a $22.7 million package for the Victorian Taxi and Hire Car industry.

This industry has suffered an enormous impact due to the COVID-19 crisis, seeing an 80% drop in taxi demand and close to 100% drop in hire car demand.

Taxis, in particular, are an essential service that play a vitally important role in our society. For many Victorians, taxis are the only form of transport available to them, especially people in wheelchairs and those who live in regional and rural Victoria. The government has an obligation to support taxi services for Victorians who rely on them and to ensure they are there as the economy recovers.

Victorian Government has announced that impacted employing businesses will be supported during the latest 6 week stay-at-home orders through access to a one-off, $5,000 grant under the Business Support Fund - Expansion.

Eligibility – the applicant must:
a)       Operate a business in metropolitan Melbourne or Mitchell Shire; and
b)       Be a recipient of JobKeeper; and
c)       Employ people and be registered with WorkSafe on 30 June 2020; and
d)       Have an annual payroll of less than $3 million in 2019-20; and
e)       Be registered for GST on 30 June 2020; and
f)        Hold an ABN at 30 June 2020; and

Project: COVID-19 drive-through testing facility

Works: Utilising T4 car park Level 2 for dedicated COVID-19 testing

Working Hours: The testing facility will be operational between 0900 – 1700hrs, seven (7) days per week. The location will be unavailable for all other uses for the duration of the testing facility’s installation on site.

Date: From Saturday 4 July 2020 at 1pm

Driving this week on the roads, it is obvious to see that people are appreciating the lessening of restrictions. It is also nice to be seeing taxis around, even though there is little work at present.
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The Victorian regulator, Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria (CPVV), advised us last week that there has been a 2% increase in MPTP fares week on week, on top of a previous week’s increase of 6%.

Transport Alliance Australia representatives were at this week’s CPVV COVID-19 update meeting.

The message they are hearing from the regulator is that:

1. CPVV is right on top of the fraud that is occurring within the MPTP system, and some people are even saying that the MPTP system has changed – no it hasn’t altered one little bit, and if you’re doing the wrong thing, it will catch you.

2. MPTP trips are still way down compared to last year – 62% down.