Last updated September 2026. Figures below are current as at this date; always confirm the latest amounts directly with Safe Transport Victoria or your NDIS plan.
NDIS transport funding and the Victorian Multi Purpose Taxi Program are two separate schemes, and most people only fully understand one of them by the time they’ve booked a few trips the expensive way. This guide covers both, in plain terms, from a business that deals with them every day.
The Multi Purpose Taxi Program, in one paragraph
MPTP members get 50% off the metered fare, up to $60 per trip. To qualify, you need to be a permanent Victorian resident with a severe or permanent disability that affects your ability to use public transport independently, and you need to hold a Centrelink concession card or a DVA card. It’s run through Safe Transport Victoria, and applications go through them, not through us or any other transport provider. We’ve written a full walkthrough of how to apply for a Multi Purpose Taxi Program card if you’re at that stage.
One thing worth knowing: MPTP now covers some rideshare trips as well as taxis, which is why the subsidy alone doesn’t tell you whether a car will actually fit a wheelchair. The discount applies to the fare. It says nothing about the vehicle. That distinction matters more than most people expect until a rideshare car turns up with no ramp.
How NDIS transport funding is actually structured
NDIS transport support usually sits under Core Supports, and how much someone has for it depends on their plan and their assessed needs, not a fixed amount everyone gets. There’s no single number to quote here, because it genuinely varies plan to plan. If you want the fuller picture of your own NDIS transport funding, our NDIS transport Melbourne page and the NDIS itself are the two places to check.
What we can tell you clearly is how booking works on our end, because that part doesn’t change from participant to participant, and it depends on how your plan is managed:
Self-managed NDIS participants
You book directly with us the same way anyone else does. You pay at the end of the trip, keep the receipt, and claim it back through your plan in whatever way you already manage your other self-managed supports. We don’t need any paperwork from you before the trip.
Plan-managed NDIS participants
Same booking process. The difference is usually just where the invoice goes, since your plan manager typically wants it sent to them rather than reimbursed to you directly. Tell us at booking if that’s the case and we’ll send it the right way.
Agency-managed (NDIA-managed) participants
If the NDIA manages your plan directly, transport works a little differently again. Rather than paying us and claiming it back yourself, your transport funding is typically drawn down through a registered provider or the NDIA’s own claiming process. If you’re not sure which category you fall into, that’s on your plan itself, or your NDIA planner or Local Area Coordinator can tell you.
If you hold both an MPTP card and NDIS transport funding, you’d typically use one or the other for a given trip rather than both at once. Tell us at booking which applies to that trip, and we’ll process it accordingly.
What actually matters when you’re booking the vehicle itself
Funding aside, here’s the part that determines whether the trip goes smoothly:
- Ramp or hoist, not “wheelchair friendly.” That phrase gets used loosely. Ask directly whether the vehicle has a ramp or hoist fitted, not just extra boot space.
- Driver training, not just a licence. Assisting someone in or out of a wheelchair safely is a skill, not a given. Ours are trained specifically for it, on top of standard commercial passenger vehicle accreditation.
- Wait time that isn’t rushed. We allow 15 minutes at pickup and at drop-off. A driver hovering after 2 minutes turns a routine trip into a stressful one.
- Whether it can take a powered chair or scooter, not just a manual chair. Not every accessible vehicle handles the weight and dimensions of a powered chair. Confirm this before the day of the trip, not after the driver arrives.
Booking on someone else’s behalf
A large share of our bookings come from family members, aged care staff, and support coordinators booking for someone else entirely. That’s completely normal and doesn’t complicate anything. We just need the passenger’s name, a contact number that will actually be answered, and what equipment is travelling (manual chair, powered chair, or scooter, since that affects which vehicle we send).
If it’s a recurring trip, a weekly appointment for example, it’s worth setting up as a standing booking so nobody has to repeat the details every time.
Frequently asked questions
Can NDIS participants book their own taxi?
Yes. Self-managed and plan-managed participants book directly with us the same way anyone else does. Agency-managed participants usually go through a registered provider or the NDIA’s own process instead. See the funding breakdown above for the difference.
What is the Multi Purpose Taxi Program?
A Victorian Government subsidy, run through Safe Transport Victoria, that takes 50% off a taxi fare up to a $60 cap for eligible cardholders. It’s separate from NDIS funding. For a given trip, you’d generally use one or the other, not both at once.
Can you use MPTP and NDIS funding together?
You’d generally use one or the other for a given trip, not both at once. Let us know at booking which one applies.
How do I apply for a Multi Purpose Taxi Program card?
Through Safe Transport Victoria, starting with an online medical assessment completed by your doctor. We’ve covered the full process, start to finish, in our MPTP application guide.
Wheelchair Taxi Melbourne and this system, specifically
We’ve been running wheelchair-accessible vehicles since 2005, based in the City of Casey and covering Melbourne’s south-east corridor. We accept both self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants, and we accept MPTP cards, without any extra process on your side beyond mentioning it at booking. If you’re not sure whether you qualify for MPTP, it’s worth checking with the Victorian Government’s MPTP page before your first trip rather than after.
If you want to see whether we cover your specific suburb, the full list is on our suburbs page. Otherwise, call 0432 712 248 and we’ll talk you through it.
