13cabs Supports Passengers with Assistance Dogs For "Respectful" Travel
- Written by The Bulletin
Australia’s largest taxi network, 13cabs, has launched a series of nation-leading reforms to ensure safer, faster, and more respectful travel for passengers with assistance dogs.
The new measures — including driver training, app development, call centre protocols and marketing initiatives — aim to support people with vision or mobility loss, while cracking down on any driver who refuses service to passengers travelling with guide or assistance dogs.
"Everyone deserves to travel with dignity," said 13cabs Chief Operating Officer Olivia Barry, pictured with Falkor from Assistance Dogs Australia.
"We’ve built these features not just to comply with legislation, but because it’s the right thing to do."
Key reforms include:
Trip Prioritisation: Passengers who note they are travelling with an assistance dog in the 13cabs app or via phone booking will now have their trip prioritised for dispatch.
Driver Accountability: Drivers are reminded via in-app prompts that it is a criminal offence to refuse service to passengers with assistance dogs. If no vehicle is immediately available, a human dispatcher will intervene to secure a car.
Zero-Tolerance Policy: A refusal to transport a passenger due to the presence of an assistance dog results in immediate suspension and formal reporting to state authorities.
Enhanced Driver Training: A dedicated Assistance Animal module — focusing on etiquette, behaviour expectations, and legal obligations — has been added to all driver inductions and annual refresher courses, with a mandatory assessment component.
Ms Barry said in addition to operational improvements, 13cabs was investing in broader cultural change through upgraded customer service processes.
“Complaints relating to assistance dogs are now fast-tracked in the ticketing system, with guaranteed response times under 48 business hours,” she said.
13cabs has also formalised its long-term commitment with the creation of an Accessible Taxi Working Group.
Comprised of industry leaders, disability advocates and 13cabs representatives, the group meets regularly to guide continuous service improvements and ensure the passenger voice remains front and centre.
“We are regularly consulting with passengers and disability advocates to ensure this is more than box-ticking,” Ms Barry said.
“It’s about real-world outcomes — quicker pickups, safer journeys, and zero tolerance for discrimination.”
The latest reforms build on 13cabs' broader mission to set new standards for accessibility and customer care across Australia's transport industry.
