Tuesday, 2 December 2025

 Anasina GRAY-BARBERIO (Northern Metropolitan) (12:57): My constituency question is for the Minister for Transport Infrastructure. Alex, a 75-year-old woman with a disability from Brunswick West, was recently denied a taxi from Flinders Street railway station cab rank, with drivers saying the trip was ‘too short’. Alex has a multipurpose taxi program discount card, and during this time several drivers refused her service and became verbally and then physically aggressive, leaving Alex feeling unsafe and stranded. These refusals breach driver obligations under Victoria’s passenger vehicle laws, which prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities. Minister, what steps is the government taking to ensure seniors and people with disabilities can reliably access taxis, that drivers cannot refuse service based on distance and that passengers are protected from harassment or unsafe situations?