The rules relating to children travelling in taxis, rideshares and booked vehicles (hire cars/rideshares) vary across Australian states and territories. In most cases, children under one-year must use a child seat or sit on their parent’s lap with a properly fastened seatbelt.
In some states, you can hire a Taxi With Baby Seat Melbourne airport. This service is designed to ensure the safety of passengers and their children.
Child Restraint Seats
In Victoria, taxi drivers are not required to supply child restraint seats. However, a pilot program run by Uber and Kidsafe will connect passengers with children to driver-partners who have child car seats ready for the ride. These installers have undergone the necessary training to safely fit child restraints and are endorsed by the Kidsafe Victorian ‘Baby on Board’ program.
The rules around using baby car seats in taxis vary across states and territories. Some taxis have a car seat anchorage point, while others do not. In all Australian states except New South Wales, children aged under 12 months must travel in a child car seat or booster seat.
Parents often try to circumvent these laws by putting their babies on their laps, but this is not safe. It is not only dangerous for the baby but also the parent, as a diagonal shoulder strap can cut or choke the baby and the tether strap can press hard into the infant’s tummy.
Child Seat Belts
If you have children, the safety of your children while travelling in a taxi is an important concern. The laws on child restraints in taxis across Australia are similar to those in private vehicles, with each state and territory having specific requirements. Children aged one to six years must travel in the back seat, and if there is no car seat available, they must wear a properly fastened lap-sash adult seatbelt.
Taxis that offer rank and hail services, and booked vehicles (hire cars and rideshares) aren’t required to have child seats, although they must have an anchor point for a restraint seat or booster. However, it is advisable to book a specialized taxi service with child safety seats such as Taxi Bambino.
The chauffeur service provides different restraint systems based on the age and size of your children. These systems are easy to install and provide maximum comfort for your children while commuting. It also ensures that your children remain safe in case of a crash or sudden braking.
Child Seat Installation
When you’re traveling with kids in a taxi, it’s important to make sure the child seats are properly installed. There are many different types of child seats available, so it’s important to know what type your kids will need before booking a ride. In most states, drivers are required to install child seats for children under 7 years old. This includes taxis, Uber, and other rideshare vehicles.
In the Uber app, you can request a child seat trip through a new feature called “Uber Child Seats.” This feature matches riders with driver-partners who offer trips with pre-approved child seats. The driver-partners who offer Uber Child Seats have been trained and verified by Baby Bunting to correctly install and fit the child car seats in their vehicles.
The type of car seat your children will need depends on their age and size. Some of the most common types include rear-facing infant capsules, forward-facing baby seats, and booster seats for older children.
Child Seat Safety
If you want to travel with your children in a taxi, make sure it has child seats. There are different laws about child seat safety across Australia, but most states and territories require children under one to travel in a child car seat, and children over one must be secured with a properly fitted seatbelt.
Taxi companies can supply or hire car seats for an extra charge. In some cases, it’s better to bring your own, as they will be safer and more comfortable for your children. In other cases, the service won’t allow you to take your own car seat.
The rules differ for booked vehicles (hire cars and rideshares) and unbooked taxis that offer rank and hail services. Unbooked taxis don’t have to provide or fit a child seat, although they must have an anchor point for a child restraint. Booked taxis must have a child seat or booster seat available to passengers who ask for it.