Ola Driver Requirements in Queensland – Australia

As the third most populous city in Australia, making Brisbane a good choice for startup companies who want to expand their services in the country. Including Ola, who launched its ridesharing service in Brisbane in 2018 along with other major cities such as Sydney and Melbourne.

Ola is not a single player in Queensland’s ridesharing field, previously there was Uber who dominated the ride-hailing market in the state since 2014. Also, Ola also had to share the cake in QLD with several other startup companies such as Didi from China who managed to make Uber leaving its homeland.

To attract existing riders from competitors, Ola often provides various discounted promotions, specifically for new users. Meanwhile, to attract people to drive with them, they offer several benefits for its drivers such as lower commission fees and daily payments.

Where is Ola Available in Queensland?

If you intend to become an Ola driver in Queensland, you can register in several cities such as Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. After you are registered as an Ola driver-partner in one of these cities, you can pick up and deliver Ola passengers anywhere as long as you are still in the Queensland area. You don’t need to make changes to the driver account if your app is online in the state, but you can’t drive outside the state because every state has different rules about the ride-booking service.

Ola Driver Application Page

Driver Requirements

To be able to drive with Ola in Queensland, you must be at least 21 years old, be able to drive and have some requirements as below.

1. QLD Driver Licence
   To be an Ola driver-partner, of course, you must have good driving skills. To prove it, you must hold an unrestricted licence type or herein referred to as Open Licence. Other licence types such as learner and provisional are not eligible to be used with this service. Not only that, but you must also have the licence for at least 1 year.
2. Driver Authorisation
   Driver Authorization (DA) is carried out to increase public confidence in drivers from public passenger transport, in this case rideshare drivers. To get the authorization, a driver may have to go through several stages such as medical assessment, background check and driving history.
3. Identity Proof
   To be accepted as an Ola Driver you must be able to show your current identity, it can be a passport, birth or citizenship certificate. Ola might also conduct a Visa Entitlement Verification (VEVO) Check against your provided identity, especially if you don’t have Australian citizenship. This identity is also required in the DA application process.
4. QLD Compulsory Training
   Based on the new regulation, every driver rides in Queensland are required to have completed compulsory training in disability awareness, anti-discrimination awareness including sexual harassment. The training will be conducted via the Ola Training Academy. This requirement applies to existing and new drivers.

Vehicle Requirements

Every vehicle that manufactured and registered within the last 10 years, has four doors and enough seating to accommodate 4 passengers can be used to drive with Ola. Also, there are some additional requirements that you must have before you can drive with them.

1. Vehicle Insurance
   Your vehicle must be insured before being registered as a rideshare vehicle. Your car should at least be held a CTP or Compulsory Third Party insurance with proper insurance class. Privately held vehicles using class 26 and hire vehicles using class 4. For rented cars, it is also required to have a rental agreement.
2. COI
   If you have just bought a new vehicle and it has been registered for less than a year, then your car does not need to go through an inspection. COI or Certificate of Inspection is an effort to ensure that the vehicle you use for rideshare service meets security standards. A COI can be acquired from a Transport and Main Roads (TMR) inspection centre or an approved inspection station accredited by TMR.
3. BHSL
   When you provide a rideshare service to riders, you will need to apply for a Booked Hire Service Licence (BHSL) for your car. Make sure before applying for BHSL you have the requirements such as registered in Queensland and already has a COI. The reason is that you cannot save and restart your application at a later time. The license is valid for 1 year and can’t be transferred to someone else or company.
4. Vehicle Registration
   For newly registered vehicles less than 1 year old, you are required to provide additional information regarding your vehicle registration in QLD.

Payment Information

Unlike other Rideshare companies operating in Australia, Ola pays their driver-partners on a daily basis, which means your income will be received the following day. To be eligible to receive payments you must fill the following information.

1. Bank Details
   Ola requires your Bank Account details including BSB (Bank State Branch) code and your bank account number. Almost all banks in Australia can be used to receive direct deposits from the company.
2. ABN
   Based on regulations from the Australian Government, every rideshare driver is required to have an Australian Business Number (ABN) to identify your ride booking business to government and community. It’s a unique 11 digit number that you can apply online.

Where to register?

Just like other rideshare companies, you can apply online to become an Ola driver. You can register wherever and whenever using your computer or even your smartphone. If you do not have the required documents in hand, you can register now and complete the requirements on another day once you got them.