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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 895 asked in the Legislative Council on 10 September 2020 by Hon Aaron Stonehouse

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

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?

Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:

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.