Dispatching jobs

Booking entities should apply the following best practices for inclusive and accessible dispatching processes.

Prioritise accessibility

  • Prioritise services for people with disability, including bookings for wheelchair-accessible services.
  • Use tailored approaches to help meet requested pick-up times for advance bookings, where appropriate, rather than relying on the same dispatch rules used for all trips.

Effective dispatch and communication

  • Use driver in-vehicle systems to flag priority jobs and direct them to the precise pick-up location.
  • Contact customers in real time when a booked service is delayed or hasn’t arrived. This will allow customers to consider alternative arrangements or wait in a safe place.

Monitoring and managing accessibility bookings

  • Contact customers when a trip is still pending acceptance from a driver.
  • Confirm pick-up location details.
  • Tell a customer about possible delays.
  • Re-issue and prioritise a job that hasn’t been accepted or has been cancelled.
  • Notify drivers of specific location details, customer accessibility requirements, or when a customer has requested assistance from the driver. For example, a customer who is blind or has low vision may need notice of the vehicle approaching or assistance to get in and out of the vehicle.
  • Ensure drivers don’t ‘complete’ a trip in the system if the service has not been provided. Monitor these behaviours and ensure effective strategies are in place to deter or eliminate occurrences to help address poor customer experiences and discrimination against people with disabilities.

Training and awareness

Provide regular training to all dispatch staff and drivers on anti-discrimination and general accessibility obligations.

Improving customer experiences (scenario)

  • Gerald (he/him/his) lives in Hervey Bay and requires a wheelchair.

    Gerald had an appointment with his doctor, which finished at 10am. Gerald decided to get an early lunch and buy groceries at the nearby shopping centre before heading home. Knowing that wait times can be long for a wheelchair accessible taxi (WAT), he rang the taxi company in advance and requested a pick-up at the taxi rank of the shopping centre for 1pm.

    Gerald finished his grocery shopping early and arrived at the taxi rank shelter at 12.30pm. While he was waiting, Sarah (she/her/hers) arrived at the taxi rank and Gerald overheard her booking a taxi. At 1.15pm, a WAT from the company Gerald booked with arrived at the taxi rank, but the driver advised the booking was for Sarah. Gerald explained that he had booked in advance. The taxi driver apologised and continued to assist Sarah into the vehicle.

    Gerald called the booking company to follow up on his booking and was advised a vehicle would not be available at his location until 2.30pm. When no vehicles had arrived at 2.45pm, Gerald called the company again and was advised the booking had been cancelled. The operator said they would dispatch a new WAT as a priority. Gerald was irate as it had already been a long wait, and he had made the effort to book in advance.

  • Booking entities should have processes to:

    • prioritise wheelchair accessible vehicle bookings
    • release advance bookings for wheelchair accessible vehicles earlier than other jobs to help ensure a vehicle is available at the requested time. Review your dispatch procedures to decide when different types of bookings should be allocated
    • immediately notify customers of delays or cancellations. For example, depending on notification preferences identified at the time of booking, dispatch staff could have sent a text or called Gerald to advise him of the delay and cancelled trip
    • train dispatch staff to take accurate information relating to accessible trip bookings and to coordinate priority delivery of these services with WAT drivers
    • train drivers on the legal requirements of delivering services to TSS and customers travelling in a wheelchair and the legal implications of refusing or cancelling a service
    • provide regular training to all dispatch staff and drivers on anti-discrimination and general accessibility obligations in line with state and commonwealth requirements
    • regularly review incidents and customer feedback as part of continuous improvement and ensure internal operating processes best support customer needs.