Safe Transport for Women and Children: Why Your Choice of Provider Matters

Every woman has the right to feel safe, respected and comfortable during a journey. That principle is not a marketing claim — it is now the legal standard for transport operators across NSW, and Cars on Demand has been building its service around it for more than 35 years.

In February 2026, the NSW Point to Point Transport Commissioner released new Women’s Safety Industry Guidelines for rideshare, taxi and hire vehicle operators. The guidelines make clear what passengers should expect — and what providers are legally required to deliver. This blog explains what those standards mean, and how Cars on Demand’s professional chauffeur service is built to meet and exceed them.

What the NSW Guidelines Say

The Point to Point Transport Commissioner’s guidelines establish that women are statistically more likely to experience behaviour that causes discomfort or fear during transport — including intrusive personal questions, unwanted attention, inappropriate comments, or conduct that undermines their sense of safety. The guidelines do not create new obligations; they clarify and enforce what already exists under the Point to Point Transport (Taxis and Hire Vehicles) Act 2016.

Operators are required to embed women’s safety across their entire Safety Management System — covering driver conduct standards, training and education, incident management, and risk assessment. Complaints must be acknowledged within 24 hours and resolved within 10 working days. Drivers who engage in unacceptable behaviour face consequences ranging from significant fines to removal from the industry.

For passengers, this matters. It means the choice of transport provider is not just about price or punctuality — it is about the standard of conduct you can reasonably expect during the journey.

What Women and Families Should Expect from Any Transport Provider

The guidelines identify five key principles that should underpin how any reputable provider operates: transparency, accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and inclusive design. In plain terms, this means a provider should be clear about how it operates, take complaints seriously, actively improve, and consider the specific needs of diverse passengers — including women with disabilities, women from different cultural backgrounds, and families travelling with children.

When choosing a transport provider for yourself, your family, or a team member, these are reasonable questions to ask: Can I see where my vehicle is in real time? Is my driver’s identity confirmed before the journey starts? What happens if I have a concern after the trip? Is there a real person in Australia I can call?

The Cars on Demand Safety Shield

Cars on Demand has been operating since 1990 with over 1,500 professional drivers and a 99.99% on-time reliability record. The service is trusted by over 5,000 Executive Assistants across Australia. Safety is not a feature layer added on top of the service — it is built into the architecture of how every booking works.

Here is how each layer operates.

Safety Layer 1: Live GPS Tracking Safety Layer 2: Confirmed Driver Identity Safety Layer 3: Professional Conduct Standards Safety Layer 4: Meet-and-Greet Service Safety Layer 5: Child Seat Safety Safety Layer 6: 100% Australian-Based Customer Support

[Image tag for developer: An infographic-style “Safety Shield” graphic showing the six layers above as a visual stack or shield diagram, in Cars on Demand brand colours. Each layer should be labelled with the heading and a short descriptor icon — GPS pin, ID card, shield, handshake, child seat, phone headset.]

Safety Layer 1: Live GPS Tracking

Every Cars on Demand booking includes a live tracking link delivered by SMS — to the passenger and to the person who made the booking. The vehicle’s exact location can be monitored from departure to arrival throughout the entire journey.

This is meaningful safety infrastructure, not a feature footnote. For a woman travelling alone late at night, for a parent who has arranged a pickup for their child, or for an EA responsible for a team member’s safe arrival: knowing exactly where the vehicle is at every moment is a direct, practical safety measure. The tracking link can be shared with anyone — a colleague, a family member, a friend — so the passenger is never the only person who knows where the car is.

Safety Layer 2: Confirmed Driver Identity Before Every Trip

Before a Cars on Demand journey begins, passengers receive their driver’s full details — including their direct mobile number. This is not an anonymous handle or a generic booking reference. It is a confirmed, named professional whose details are on record before the door opens.

The NSW guidelines specifically call out the importance of transparency around driver identity and conduct. Cars on Demand’s model means the driver is identifiable, accountable, and reachable throughout the journey — not a stranger assigned by an algorithm minutes before pickup.

Safety Layer 3: Professional Conduct Standards

Cars on Demand operates under a professional driver framework that is fundamentally different from gig economy rideshare models. Our drivers are professional chauffeurs operating under conduct standards aligned with the requirements of the NSW guidelines.

The behaviours the Commissioner identifies as unacceptable — intrusive personal questions, inappropriate comments, staring or invading personal space, dismissive or patronising treatment — are explicitly incompatible with Cars on Demand’s professional standards. Drivers are required to maintain respectful communication, respect passenger privacy and personal space, and focus on safe, efficient driving throughout every journey.

Safety Layer 4: Meet-and-Greet Service at Airports and Venues

For women and families arriving at airports or major venues, the meet-and-greet service eliminates one of the most uncomfortable and disorienting transport experiences: arriving in an unfamiliar space alone, late at night, and not knowing where to go or who is looking for you.

Your Cars on Demand driver is already there, in position, holding your name. You walk directly to a confirmed, identified professional. There is no standing alone at a kerb looking at your phone, no navigating a congested pickup zone, no uncertainty about whether the right person has arrived.

For parents managing pickups for children, for women arriving at unfamiliar airports, or for families travelling in groups — this is a meaningful and practical difference.

Safety Layer 5: Child Seat Safety to Australian Standards

For families travelling with infants and young children, equipment safety is as important as driver conduct. Cars on Demand provides correctly installed child restraints — capsules, baby seats, and booster seats — fitted to Australian Standards before you reach the vehicle.

No more struggling with harnesses and buckles in a dark airport car park at 11pm, or trusting that a last-minute rideshare driver has a seat that is correctly fitted. Our drivers ensure every child restraint is properly secured before departure — the same standard a professional family transport service should meet, every time. Please advise at the time of booking that a child seat is required, and the appropriate restraint will be ready and correctly installed on arrival.

Safety Layer 6: 100% Australian-Based Customer Support, 24/7

If a woman or child feels uncomfortable during or after a journey — at any hour — they can call 1300 638 258 and speak directly to a real person, based in Australia. Not an overseas call centre. Not an automated bot. Not a chatbot that logs a ticket.

Australian-based support, available 24 hours a day, means that at 2am when your daughter’s flight lands late and the situation feels uncertain, you are speaking to someone who understands the context, the geography, and the urgency. This is one of the most significant trust advantages Cars on Demand has over anonymous rideshare platforms, and it is one that matters most precisely when passengers are most vulnerable.

Safe Airport Transfers for Families and Children

Airport travel presents specific safety considerations for families. Early morning or late-night departures, unfamiliar terminals, and the stress of managing children and luggage create exactly the kind of vulnerability that a professional, pre-booked service is designed to address.

Cars on Demand’s airport transfer services across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Canberra, Darwin, Sunshine Coast, and Cairns all include automatic flight monitoring — your driver tracks the flight in real time and adjusts for any delays. For families sending teenagers to the airport, or for parents arranging travel for children travelling without them, knowing the driver is named, tracked, and accountable from pickup to drop-off is a material safety advantage over any anonymous alternative.

The EA’s Role: Booking Safer Transport for Your Executives

If you are an Executive Assistant managing travel for female executives, staff members, or visiting clients, the transport choices you make are part of your duty of care.

A surge-priced rideshare booked under pressure, with an unverified driver assigned at the last moment, is a different risk profile from a pre-booked Cars on Demand transfer with confirmed driver details, live tracking, professional conduct standards, and Australian-based support you can call if something changes.

The NSW guidelines reinforce what responsible EAs already know: the quality of the provider matters. Cars on Demand’s account booking system allows EAs to manage, track, and confirm transfers for multiple travellers simultaneously. For female executives travelling alone — particularly for late-night airport transfers, interstate arrivals, or unfamiliar cities — pre-booking with a verified, professional driver is the appropriate standard of care.

Choosing Safe Transport: What to Look For

Whether you are booking for yourself, a family member, or a team, the NSW guidelines give useful clarity on what accountability looks like in practice. A safe, professional transport provider should offer:

Confirmed driver identity before the journey begins. Live GPS tracking throughout, shareable with others. Child restraints correctly installed to Australian Standards. Professional conduct standards backed by clear accountability. Transparent complaints processes with real response timeframes. Australian-based human support available when you need it most.

Cars on Demand meets each of these. The service has been operating professionally since 1990 — not because the regulator required it, but because these standards are what a professional service looks like.

Register Today: Safe, Professional Transport for Your Team and Family

Register your account today to ensure your team and family have access to Australia’s safest professional transport network.

carsondemand.link/register — online booking, instant confirmation.

Phone: 1300 638 258 (domestic) · +61 413 905 215 (international) — 100% Australian-based, 24/7 Email: admin@carsondemand.com.au (enquiries only — bookings via app or website)

New customers also receive $50 off their first transfer.

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Cars on Demand operates nationwide across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Canberra, Darwin, Sunshine Coast, and Cairns. Established 1990.