Transport
Multi Purpose Taxi Program
The Multi-Purpose Taxi Program (MPTP) commenced in February 1983 and has undergone several reviews, most recently in 2007/8 as part of the Taxi Fare Review.
The program provides half price taxi fares for Victorians with permanent or severe disabilities up $60 per trip. Prior to the most recent review the subsidy was only $30 per trip. VCOSS campaigned to increase the subsidy.
The per year subsidy is now $2, 1090 again with an increase from $1,090 with the 2007 review.
Aside from the improvements to the subsidies, VCOSS is concerned about a number of other limitations which restrict access to the program for many disadvantaged groups, such as:
- the program is restricted to people with a permanent and severe disability and does not include people who are temporarily disabled (ie recovering from surgery) and frail and aged people;
- It does not take into account whether people have access to public transport;
- The subsidy cap is applied to people with me types of disabilities and not others and places a financial and psychological constraint on using taxi services;
- The program only covers 50% of the fare up to $60 which discriminates against people who need to make longer trips such as people who live in rural areas;
- The complexity of the application process acts as a barrier to people accessing the program. There are serious privacy concerns also with applicants required to provide details of the destinations which they intend to travel to as well as requiring the written verification of ‘the person in charge of the trip or destination’ (ie doctor, employer etc); and
- While older people and people with some disabilities are excluded from the program and restrict the amount of travel they do each week to avoid going over the annual subsidy cap, the program under spends its budget by millions of dollars each year. The unspent money could have paid for an additional 1.4 million trips over a tow year period based on the average cost of taxi trips in Victoria.
VCOSS recommends that the eligibility of the MPTP is regularly assessed against mobility and broader social inclusion outcomes and that it is considered in line with Community Transport programs.
More specifically VCOSS calls for a ‘Mobility Unit’ to b established within the Department of Transport which could coordinate research, policy development and funding of coordinated and affordable transport services for people who require door to door transport.
For additional information about the Multi t Purpose Taxi Program go to
http://www.transport.vic.gov.au/DOI/Internet/vehicles.nsf/AllDocs/F147A0C53D657A9DCA2572660016656E?OpenDocument