Personalised transport complaints
Complaint about illegal behaviour
Whether you are a passenger or a worker in the personalised transport industry, if your complaint relates to a crime such as assault, harassment, theft, dangerous driving or drink driving, contact the Queensland Police Service immediately or as soon as practical after the incident.
Complaint about overcharging, job refusal
Complaint about overcharging or job refusal
If you have a complaint about driver behaviour, such as because you were overcharged or a taxi driver refused to take you or to start the meter, you should contact the service provider (the taxi or booked hire company or booking service) first to try and resolve the complaint directly.
TMR may also be able to take action against a driver for overcharging or refusing your trip.
Lodge a complaint with us by emailing personalised.transport@tmr.qld.gov.au or calling 13 12 30.
Provide as much detail as possible in your complaint about the trip, including the taxi company, vehicle number plate, time of day, pick-up location and destination.
If you want to make a complaint in relation to personalised transport, make sure you're informed about the best way to resolve the issue.
We can only investigate complaints about compliance with transport legislation, such as personalised transport licensing, authorisation and vehicle requirements.
For other complaints about the personalised transport industry, we recommend following this general dispute resolution process.
This page includes information on:
General dispute resolution process
Step 1: Seek to resolve your complaint directly
In many cases, the simplest and fastest outcome may be achieved through directly contacting the party with your complaint. Because they are the party that triggered your complaint, they are often best placed to resolve it.
This can avoid a drawn-out or costly process, particularly for less serious matters where both parties are happy with a quick and inexpensive resolution.
Step 2: Take the issue to the appropriate regulatory agency
If you are unable to resolve your issue with the other party directly, the next step is to take your complaint to the appropriate regulatory body, if the issue is regulated.
Although occurring in the transport industry, many complaints belong to a broader class of issues that occur across many industries and fields. For example, industrial relations complaints are outside the scope of the Department of Transport and Main Roads but can be directed to a wider body such as the Fair Work Commission.
Step 3: Pursue further dispute resolution processes
In the case that your issue is not covered by regulation or that the appropriate agency has been unable to provide a suitable result, but you still feel that you have a legitimate grievance, you may wish to progress your issue through further dispute resolution processes. This may mean engaging in mediation processes, where suitable, or pursuing the matter through a legal tribunal or the courts.
Making a complaint
You can get started by looking at our guide to dispute resolution in the personalised transport industry. This guide will help you:
- self-resolve your dispute
- decide how to progress your dispute
- understand whether mediation is likely to benefit you
- prepare for a potential mediation session.
If you are a passenger
We recommend that you contact the service provider (the taxi or booked hire company or booking service) first to try and resolve the complaint directly.
If your complaint relates to service issues (such as the condition of the vehicle, driver courtesy, the time you waited or the route taken by the driver), your first step should always be to discuss the issue with the booking entity you ordered your trip through.
You can lodge your complaint with us by emailing personalised.transport@tmr.qld.gov.au or calling 13 12 30 if it relates to:
- a serious compliance issue
- an issue covered by transport legislation that has not been satisfactorily resolved by contacting the service provider directly.
Your complaint may be covered by transport legislation if it relates to:
- unauthorised driving
- unsafe vehicles
- taxi driver refusing to provide a service
- security camera requirements
- failure to provide a receipt or a fare estimate
- failure to take an assistance animal
- wheelchair accessible service provision
- Taxi Subsidy Scheme.
Find out more information about issues regulated by the Department of Transport and Main Roads:
If contacting your service provider isn't successful, you may choose to take the issue to the Office of Fair Trading, who can action your complaint. The Office of Fair Trading also provides a conciliation service for general consumer complaints.
To report dangerous driving by any personalised transport services, you can report the incident to the Queensland Police Service by:
- phoning 13 HOON (13 46 66)
- submitting an online form.
If you have been discriminated against, contact the Australian or Queensland Human Rights Commission.
Alternatively, you may take the matter to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT).
If you are an industry stakeholder, driver, operator, licence holder or booking entity
If appropriate, try to resolve your issue directly with the relevant party, such as the service provider. If the issue relates to transport legislation, email us directly at personalised.transport@tmr.qld.gov.au.
Remuneration, working conditions or contract conditions complaints
These issues can vary greatly depending on your status as either an employee or an independent contractor.
For help deciding whether you are self-employed, you can consult the support and resources for personalised transport drivers, or contact Fair Work Australia.
Workplace health and safety complaints
Contact WorkSafe Queensland.
Australian consumer and competition law or unfair contract provisions for small businesses complaints
Contact the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Tax or superannuation complaints between booking entities and drivers or other employees
Contact the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
Discrimination complaints
Contact the Queensland or Australian Human Rights Commission.
Dispute resolution
If your complaint is still unresolved after you have tried to work it out directly and taken it to the appropriate regulatory agency, you may consider either of these options:
- seeking mediation of your issue
- pursuing the matter in the legal system.
Mediation
Mediation involves a structured meeting of the parties to identify, understand and negotiate their dispute. In many cases this can allow the issue to be resolved to the reasonable satisfaction of both parties, and with a lower cost and more flexibility compared to going to court.
Mediation is an option which:
- is confidential
- can help you and the other party preserve your business relationship
- can save you time and money compared to litigation
- is conducted by an accredited professional.
Although mediation is not legally binding, if the parties reach an agreement they are both happy with, this can then be developed into a binding contract.
Our guide to dispute resolution in the personalised transport industry will help you:
- self-resolve your dispute
- decide how to progress your dispute
- understand whether mediation is likely to benefit you
- prepare for a potential mediation session.
Personalised transport mediation services
- The Department of Justice and Attorney-General offers a free mediation service for personalised transport issues through its Dispute Resolution Branch—to apply for this service, you should first complete the mediation workbook to prepare you for a mediation session and demonstrate the suitability of your issue for a mediated outcome.
- Taxi Council of Queensland offers dispute resolution support and mediation for the taxi industry.
- The Australian Government provides guidance on how to prevent and manage disputes.
- Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman provides dispute support and has published a guide for independent contractors on preventing and managing disputes (PDF, 1.2MB).
Legal options
You can lodge a dispute with the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) or engage a private solicitor.
QCAT is a legally binding tribunal that often also includes a mediation phase and is intended to be a low-cost forum to settle minor legal matters.