❓ Hon. Aaron Stonehouse questions the Minister for Police regarding industry consultation and differential treatment of rideshare and courier companies under new mobile phone use regulations for drivers. The Minister for Road Safety provides the response, citing existing regulations and safety management systems.
AnsweredQoN 895Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
DRIVERS — MOBILE
PHONES — PENALTIES
895. Hon AARON STONEHOUSE to the minister representing the
Minister for Police:
It may assist the minister to know
that this question is dated Wednesday, 9 September. I refer the minister to the
regulations that commenced on 1 September 2020 in relation to mobile phone use
by drivers.
(1) What industry
consultation, if any, was undertaken during the drafting process with the likes
of rideshare providers or courier companies?
(2) Why have
rideshare companies been granted a series of exemptions, while couriers, many
of whom use very similar phone applications to those employed by rideshare
drivers, have been treated differently; and, what is the difference between
delivering a person and delivering a package in the context of these new
regulations?
PHONES — PENALTIES
895. Hon AARON STONEHOUSE to the minister representing the
Minister for Police:
It may assist the minister to know
that this question is dated Wednesday, 9 September. I refer the minister to the
regulations that commenced on 1 September 2020 in relation to mobile phone use
by drivers.
(1) What industry
consultation, if any, was undertaken during the drafting process with the likes
of rideshare providers or courier companies?
(2) Why have
rideshare companies been granted a series of exemptions, while couriers, many
of whom use very similar phone applications to those employed by rideshare
drivers, have been treated differently; and, what is the difference between
delivering a person and delivering a package in the context of these new
regulations?
AnswerView source ↗
Honourable
member, I have a question dated Tuesday, 8 September to the Minister for Road
Safety, but it is essentially the
same question. I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
The following answer has been provided by the Minister for Road Safety.
The Road Safety Commission advises
the following.
(1) The Road Safety Commission consulted widely across
government, including the Department of Transport , which has regulatory
oversight of the road transport sector.
(2) Rideshare
drivers have been placed on a level footing with taxidrivers. Rideshare drivers
and taxidrivers operate within a highly regulated industry with strict safety
management systems for drivers and vehicles. Parcel
couriers can use a mobile phone as a dispatch system while driving, so long as
they operate the phone using
voice-activated controls. Further, the courier industry is not as regulated and
has operated within the existing regulatory framework for several years.
member, I have a question dated Tuesday, 8 September to the Minister for Road
Safety, but it is essentially the
same question. I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
The following answer has been provided by the Minister for Road Safety.
The Road Safety Commission advises
the following.
(1) The Road Safety Commission consulted widely across
government, including the Department of Transport , which has regulatory
oversight of the road transport sector.
(2) Rideshare
drivers have been placed on a level footing with taxidrivers. Rideshare drivers
and taxidrivers operate within a highly regulated industry with strict safety
management systems for drivers and vehicles. Parcel
couriers can use a mobile phone as a dispatch system while driving, so long as
they operate the phone using
voice-activated controls. Further, the courier industry is not as regulated and
has operated within the existing regulatory framework for several years.
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