New Ridesharing Bill 2016 for Victoria

On 7 June 2016, the Ridesharing Bill 2016, a private member's bill, was introduced into the Victorian Legislative Council, aiming to impose duties on facilitators of ridesharing, to amend the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983 (VIC) to exempt ridesharing from the provisions of that act relating to commercial passenger vehicles and to amend the Transport Integration Act 2010 (VIC) to recognise the undertaking of rideshare journeys as a transport service and for other purposes.

Background to the Bill

As indicated in our previous article, the Uber service currently remains illegal in Victoria because drivers do not have licences to operate as taxi cabs or hire cars, conditions required to be met the by the current state regulations. In defence of this position, when challenged in court cases, Uber has argued that it is not providing taxi services, but facilitating a way for passengers and drivers to find each other.

Amendments in the Bill

The Ridesharing Bill 2016 (The Bill), if passed, establishes a system for regulation, accreditation and the administration of ride sharing services across the state of Victoria.

The Bill introduces a number of definitions designed to capture the novel components and relationships comprising ridesharing, while imposing a number of duties on rideshare facilitators aimed to promote accountability and safety for consumers.

The Bill contains the following amendments:

• Part 2 of the Bill details duties of rideshare facilitators including identification requirements for both rideshare passengers and drivers; and
• Part 3 of the Bill amends various pieces of transport legislation in order to incorporate the suggested rideshare definitions.

The Bill is awaiting Second Reading debate in the Legislative Council and is the first order of the day when Parliament resumes sitting on 21 June 2016.

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Ridesharing Bill 2016 (VIC) and secondary materials as reproduced on TimeBase LawOne