What is a Booking Service Provider?

Booking Service Providers (BSPs) need to apply for registration. The responsibilities of BSPs include complying with safety duties, keeping records of safety risks, services and complaints, providing fare information and notifying Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria (CPVV) of certain incidents. Further information can be found in Provider responsibilities.

What is a BSP?

A BSP is a person, company, partnership or association that meets either of the following definitions.

It is a business that:

receives requests from customers for a commercial passenger vehicle (CPV) service (including taxi, hire car, rideshare, wedding car); and
arranges or facilitates the acceptance of these requests by, or on behalf of, CPV drivers.

it owns, operates or controls a wholly or partly automated electronic system (for example an ‘app’) that performs both of the above.

A BSP can accept payment for the service on behalf of the driver, or have a payment made directly to the driver. CPV drivers and owners usually have the choice of subscribing to one or more registered BSPs.

BSPs can be organisations based within, or outside of, Victoria.

Want to see all information about BSPs in one place? We’ve created a handy guide which you can check out here.

Who needs BSP registration?

Generally, anyone that receives requests for CPVs from passengers and passes these requests to drivers needs to be registered as a BSP.

There are some exceptions:

an individual or organisation who has one or two CPVs registered in their name and accepts bookings using only those vehicles
a person or organisation who receives requests for CPV services and arranges their acceptance only as an incidental, not a core, part of their business.
a person or organisation that has an agreement with a registered BSP to use its information to provide an online service that allows someone to book a CPV service offered by that BSP. This may include, for example, an aggregated service provider (sometimes known as Mobility as a Service or MaaS) that allows travellers to plan, book and pay for multiple types of public and private transport.

See below for some examples:

Cruisy Cabs Pty Ltd takes bookings for others

Cruisy Cabs Pty Ltd takes bookings from passengers over the phone or via email, and texts these bookings to its drivers. Cruisy Cabs Pty Ltd needs to register as a BSP.

Ahmed owns three CPVs and takes bookings for them

Ahmed owns three CPVs that are registered in his name. He receives and accepts customer bookings, passing them to the drivers of his vehicles, including himself. Ahmed needs to register as a BSP.

Bob and Bev own two CPVs and use only these vehicles to provide a booking service

Bob and Bev are a husband and wife partnership. They jointly own two registered CPVs. Bob and Bev receive customer bookings, allocating these only to the drivers of the two vehicles. Bob and Bev don’t need to register as a BSP.

Harpreet owns five CPVs but Company Zoom provides the booking service

Harpreet owns three CPVs. However, Company Zoom receives bookings for these vehicles and forwards them to their drivers. Harpreet doesn’t need to register as a BSP, but Company Zoom does.

Ada owns five CPVs. Zoom Ltd and Ada arrange the bookings.

Ada owns five CPVs. Ada receives some bookings for her vehicles and passes them to drivers and accepts some bookings from Zoom Ltd. Ada and Zoom Ltd both need to be registered as a BSP.

Rajesh is licenced to use an ‘app’ which allows trips to be booked and accepted by drivers

Rajesh has subscribed to use an ‘app’ which allows users to request trips, and drivers to accept those requests. Rajesh also operates an automated electronic system that provides a booking service and therefore needs to register as a BSP.

John sets up a social media page allowing trips to be booked by passengers

John is the administrator for a social media page which allows users to book trips with drivers in exchange for payment. John operates an automated electronic system that provides a booking service and needs to be registered as a BSP. In addition, all vehicles must be registered as CPVs and all drivers accredited to drive by CPVV.

Sarah sets up a private messaging group allowing trips to be booked by members

Sarah creates a group in a private messaging app which allows members to book trips with other members in exchange for payment. Sarah operates an automated electronic system that provides a booking service and needs to be registered as a BSP. In addition, all vehicles must be registered as CPVs and all drivers accredited to drive by CPVV.

Booking service providers

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