Better access to wheelchair accessible taxis

The State Government is continuing to deliver fair access to wheelchair accessible taxis on the Central Coast, with eligible operators having access to $2,500 operational support grants and a new round of interest-free loans.

The $2,500 grant is part of a $15M emergency package announced late last year and is intended to address the shortage of wheelchair accessible taxis in NSW. 

It will help with the higher costs associated with operating the taxis on the road compared to standard taxis and is now open for applications.  

It will help operators on the Central Coast with placing new and additional accessible taxis into operation.  

The interest-free loans fund the cost of purchasing, modifying and/or retrofitting a vehicle for use as a compliant wheelchair accessible taxi.  

The emergency funding package includes $2M for an operational support grant program and the Wheelchair Accessible Taxi Loan Scheme has made available $5M, including an increase to the maximum loan value to $125,000.  

Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch said wheelchair accessible taxis are an essential part of the NSW transport system, helping people with disability to get to health appointments, engage in employment and education and participate in social activities.  

“It is fantastic to see that the Government is continuing its commitment to ensure that taxi services remain accessible for all people in NSW,” she said.

“I encourage eligible taxi operators to engage in the scheme in order to keep more wheelchair accessible taxis on the road and improve services for those who need them most.

“For many people with a disability, there is simply no alternative without wheelchair accessible taxis, so the importance of this funding cannot be understated.”

NSW is experiencing an ongoing shortage in the supply of these taxis leading to service disruptions and longer wait times for customers who travel in their wheelchair or mobility device.

Tesch said the previous government took away the main incentive to become a wheelchair accessible taxi driver because accessible taxis were no longer exempt from paying the licence plate fees. 

Early in 2025 the NSW Government began addressing the shortage of wheelchair accessible taxis by delivering an emergency funding package of $15M over one year to support better services for people with disability. 

The funding package is designed to stabilise the current decline in service availability while longer-term reform actions, including options for funding a sustainable and viable accessible point to point transport sector, are developed. 

Further details on both the operational support grants and the Wheelchair Accessible Taxi Loan Scheme are available by searching Wheelchair Accessible Taxi at www.transport.nsw.gov.au