Double lift payments on Christmas Day for wheelchair accessible taxi trips

• The Miles Government is doubling the lift payment for taxi drivers on Christmas Day – to be set at $40 per eligible trip.
• The payment acknowledges the importance of wheelchair accessible taxis being available to enable Queenslanders to spend time with loved ones at Christmas by incentivising drivers to undertake wheelchair accessible taxi trips. 

Passengers with a wheelchair will be able to travel more reliably on Christmas Day with the Miles Government doubling the lift payment for taxi drivers to $40 for one day only.

The additional Wheelchair Accessible Taxi (WAT) payment recognises the importance of being able to travel freely on Christmas Day to spend time with families and friends.

Increasing the level of the driver incentive to undertake each trip will make it more attractive to drivers to provide services at Christmas and will help to ensure that passengers requiring an accessible taxi can access a WAT when they need one.

The lift payment is a driver incentive that applies for each eligible WAT trip involving transportation of a Taxi Subsidy Scheme (TSS) member who is required to travel in a wheelchair.

The payments are designed to improve service provision by helping to ensure personalised transport services remain accessible to people with disabilities.

The lift payment is not part of the taxi fare so there is no additional cost to the passenger. The whole lift payment is paid to the taxi driver who provided the service.

Taxi companies are also working to deliver Christmas Day services when they are needed, and are encouraging passengers to book in advance to help ensure they can meet demand.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Transport and Main Roads Bart Mellish:

“This initiative will support passengers reliant on a wheelchair to be able to travel reliably on Christmas Day.

“The Miles Government is determined to work with the taxi industry to ensure the delivery of high-quality services for vulnerable members of the community.”

For more information on TSS or WAT lift payments, visit qld.gov.au.

ENDS

Media contact – Minister Mellish office – 0466 620 176