New reforms are making it easier for passengers to know their rights when travelling and report driver misconduct and delivering new and increased penalties for drivers doing the wrong thing.
What’s changing
More transparency, safer rides
We’ve recently introduced a package of industry reforms to ensure that all Victorians feel safe when travelling in a taxi or ride-share vehicle.
These changes have been implemented throughout 2026.
From 1 March 2026, taxis and ride-share vehicles must display a QR code, giving passengers quick and easy access to information on their rights and how to raise a complaint.
We also introduced:
- increased penalties for failing to use a taxi meter correctly
- a new law, making it illegal for drivers to display taxi or ride-share company signs on their vehicles unless they’re associated with the company
- a new ‘two strikes and you’re out’ rule bans drivers who are found guilty of repeat fare and other serious offences over a 10-year period.
From July 2026, we’re introducing further changes to make the industry safer, fairer and more inclusive.
It is now mandatory for rank and hail taxi services to record audio during trips to address overcharging and sexual harassment.
From August, we’re also introducing a new service refusal offence to charge drivers of unbooked taxis who refuse to take passengers without a valid reason. It will be an offence to refuse passengers with assistance animals or those taking short trips – which are often taken by the most vulnerable members of our community.
Service refusals have been added to the ‘two strikes and you’re out’ scheme, meaning those who are charged with repeat offences won’t be allowed to keep driving in the industry.
The Department of Transport and Planning and Safe Transport Victoria will work with the community and the commercial passenger vehicle industry during this reform process.
More information
For more information, visit the STV website(opens in a new window).
Updated