Every time someone tries to apply their Uber intuition to Melbourne taxis, they ask "how do I see this driver's rating before I get in?" The honest answer is: you can't. The Victorian taxi system was designed before apps and star ratings existed, and individual driver ratings were never built into it. Which sounds like a gap, until you realise the alternative system that does exist.
Here is what you can actually check before and after a Melbourne airport taxi trip.
Why individual driver ratings don't exist for Melbourne taxis
Uber's model is based on driver-level reputation: every rider rates every driver out of 5, scores compound, low-rated drivers are deactivated. It's a market-based quality system.
Victorian taxis work differently:
- Licensed gatekeeping at entry. Drivers must pass Driver Accreditation (police check, medical, training) before they can work at all. That's the first filter.
- Complaint-based oversight during their career. Repeat complaints trigger audits, which can suspend or permanently remove accreditation. That's the second filter.
- Central recording. Fares, trips, and formal interactions are logged against driver accreditation numbers by the operator and the regulator, not by individual passengers.
The system is less visible to individual passengers than Uber's stars, but arguably more robust for serious issues. A driver with 10 complaints on file gets removed from the profession, not just from one app.
What you can actually check in advance
Several things, depending on what level of diligence you want.
1. The CPV public register
Safe Transport Victoria maintains a CPV public register searchable by vehicle plate or driver accreditation number.
What it shows:
- Whether the driver or vehicle is currently registered.
- Whether accreditation is in good standing or under review.
What it doesn't show:
- Historical complaints or star ratings.
- Specific driver behaviour metrics.
For most passengers, this is a check they use once — to confirm a specific cab is legitimate when something feels off. For routine use it's not very informative.
See your exact fare — enter your suburb
Fixed price, all tolls and GST included. No card required.
2. Operator reviews
Every major Melbourne taxi network has public reviews somewhere.
- Google Reviews — search the operator name (e.g. "13CABS Melbourne"). Typical pattern: a few thousand reviews, average 2.5 to 3.5 stars. Industry-wide trend is mediocre ratings because people review when they've had a bad experience, not a good one.
- ProductReview.com.au — more detailed qualitative reviews. Sortable by recency.
- Trustpilot — smaller sample for Australian taxi operators.
These review sites tell you about the operator's reputation in aggregate, not individual drivers. Useful for choosing which operator to call; not useful for predicting your specific driver.
3. Company reviews on the operator's own site
Some operators publish anonymised customer feedback or Net Promoter Scores publicly. A 4+ rating on the operator's own website combined with a 3+ on Google is a reasonable signal.
What you can check after the trip
The reactive side is actually more useful.
The receipt gives you the driver identity
The printed receipt includes the driver accreditation number (D-number) and the vehicle number (T-number). With those two pieces, you can:
- Search the CPV public register to confirm accreditation status.
- Reference both in any complaint to Safe Transport Victoria or the operator.
- Provide the details for a bank chargeback if needed.
Keep the receipt, or a photo of it, at least until the trip has fully settled on your card statement.
Feedback via the operator
The taxi network you used will have a feedback form, usually on their website or their app. Submit feedback — positive or negative — to be logged against the driver's record.
Some operators have internal star rating systems visible only to them. Your feedback feeds that.
Safe Transport Victoria complaints
For conduct issues, the formal complaint to 1800 638 802 or safetransport.vic.gov.au is how your experience becomes part of the driver's record. The complaints post covers this in detail.
A complaint against a driver isn't published publicly. It's in their file, and it informs the regulator's audit decisions.
How the system compares to Uber's stars
Uber drivers have a visible rating out of 5. Taxi drivers don't.
Uber's advantage: immediate transparency. You see a 4.8-star driver and feel reassured. A 3.9-star driver you might reject.
Uber's disadvantage: the rating is gameable. Drivers with thousands of short trips easily maintain 4.9 ratings. Riders rarely rate below 5 because they don't want to start an argument. A "3.9" in the Uber system is actually quite bad — most problem drivers hover around 4.5 and avoid review.
Taxi's advantage: complaints go on a driver's permanent file, and multiple serious complaints end careers. The filter is harder but more consequential.
Taxi's disadvantage: you don't see it. You ride blind.
For most passengers most of the time, the difference is marginal. For the 1-in-200 ride where something genuinely goes wrong, both systems produce outcomes — Uber deactivates immediately, Victorian regulator audits over weeks.
Red flags to watch for (without a rating system)
In lieu of star ratings, you use the standard verification steps:
- ID card on the dash with a photo that matches.
- The taxi plate is the correct format (embossed "taxi", issued by VicRoads).
- The meter is on and running from the start.
- The driver is comfortable answering your reasonable questions (route, meter, card payment).
- The vehicle is clean and well-maintained.
If all five are fine, you have the equivalent of a "good rating" in the Uber system. The verification post covers this in detail.
The operators that most Melbourne locals trust
Based on Google reviews, local reputation, and industry feedback:
- 13CABS / Black Cabs Combined — largest network, decades of operation, mixed individual reviews (as with all large fleets), generally reliable dispatch.
- Silver Top Taxi — long-established premium-leaning network, solid reliability reputation.
- Specialist airport operators — smaller fleets, often narrower focus on airport runs. Many have higher review averages than the general networks because of the focused training and customer selection.
For a quick assessment of any operator you haven't used before, search their name on Google Reviews and look at both the star average and the specific complaints. A 4+ star average with no pattern of "driver didn't show up" or "overcharged me" is a reasonable signal.
The short version
- Individual driver ratings don't exist in the Victorian taxi system. Don't expect them.
- Operator ratings on Google, ProductReview, or Trustpilot give you a sense of network reliability.
- The CPV public register lets you verify a specific driver or vehicle is accredited.
- The complaint system is how problem drivers are filtered, on a lag rather than in real-time.
- Day-of verification (ID card, plate, meter, behaviour) is the substitute for a star rating and is actually more reliable than Uber's number.
For most travellers the absence of star ratings is only uncomfortable until the first time it's actually relevant. After that, the verification habits cover the gap without any real loss of safety.