Page 1048 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 30 March 2011
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Several possible reforms were proposed by stakeholders. While some disability organisations did favour a dedicated WAT service operated by ACTION, other stakeholders believed that better management practices and improved booking arrangements would lift performance to a satisfactory level. PWC noted that in no other jurisdiction does a government agency deliver WAT services.
It identified arrangements in Victoria and South Australia as possible models for the ACT. In both states strong, centralised WAT booking arrangements ensure that WAT operators are required to give priority to WAT jobs. They are not permitted to solicit standard taxi work, as a number of ACT WAT drivers appear to do.
After evaluating the various proposals put forward to the review, PWC recommended that a centralised WAT booking service based on the Adelaide model be established, modified to take into account requirements peculiar to the ACT. Work is already well advanced on implementing this recommendation. Consultation will occur in the coming months with the users of WAT services to ensure that we make use of their experience, knowledge and needs in designing a system that will work.
We will also consult with the taxi industry to ensure that operators, drivers and networks contribute to the development of a workable scheme. Once the scheme has been fully scoped the government will seek expressions of interest from those interested in supplying the service. It is expected that changes will need to be made to the Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Regulation to support the new arrangements, particularly on the enforcement powers, to ensure that WAT operators give priority to WAT work.
I expect that the new booking system will be operational before the end of this year. The release of additional WAT plates, which was announced in response to the taxi review recommendations, will be timed to ensure that new WAT operators are subject to the new arrangements.
It is proposed that this new model should be piloted for two years, with a review after 18 months. Features of the scheme will probably include a single phone number and 24-hour, seven-day service; all calls for WATs to be automatically transferred to the WAT booking service; intensive management of all WAT jobs and drivers to ensure that service delivery standards are met; monitoring individual WAT performance and sanctions for WAT drivers who reject jobs; micromanagement of drivers to ensure adequate coverage especially for night shifts and public holidays; a higher late-night lift fee; and a small fee paid to the service provider for each WAT job delivered under the target response time.
There will be regular reporting to the taxi regulator on key performance indicators. The government will pursue a range of other measures to improve the performance of the WAT service. These include improved driver training and information to help operators and drivers operate efficiently and understand their obligations, a formula for WAT licence allocation which considers aged population, taxi usage and waiting time data and the release of four new WAT licences, boosting the size of the fleet to 30.
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