Getting Around in Regional Victoria: Transport Supports Explained

Published by SESI Care Services · Updated August 2026 · 2-minute summary

Quick answer: Outside metropolitan Melbourne, transport is usually the biggest barrier to getting out. There is no single answer — most people use a mix. NDIS participants can get Core Transport funding (three levels, paid to you for your own taxi, rideshare or private travel), a support worker’s time to drive you as part of a community access shift, public transport (V/Line, local buses, myki concessions), community transport run by councils, taxis through the Multi Purpose Taxi Program (MPTP), and a Companion Card so a support worker gets into venues free. Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs) need to be booked ahead, and regional services often don’t run on Sundays.

Key takeaways

• NDIS Core Transport has three funding levels, paid regularly for the participant’s own travel — it is not for a provider’s vehicle costs.
• A support worker driving you during a shift is billed differently to your own transport funding, and provider travel is a separate, capped, itemised line since 1 July 2026.
• Public transport in regional Victoria includes V/Line coaches and trains, local buses and myki concessions; Travellers Aid at major stations offers practical help.
• Community transport, often run by local councils, fills gaps where public transport doesn’t reach.
• The Multi Purpose Taxi Program (MPTP) gives a 50% taxi or rideshare fare discount, up to $60 a trip, to people with a severe and permanent disability.
• The Companion Card gets a support worker or carer in free at participating venues and events, and free travel on public transport with you.
• Book ahead. Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles, community transport and some V/Line services need advance notice, and regional services can be sparse or non-existent on Sundays.

What are the real transport options outside Melbourne?

There isn’t one system that solves regional transport — most people combine a few. The main options are: NDIS Core Transport funding for your own trips; a support worker’s time when transport is part of a shift; public transport, where it runs; community transport through your council or local health service; taxis and rideshare, sometimes subsidised through the MPTP; and a Companion Card if you need someone with you. Which combination works depends on your disability, where you live, and what your plan actually funds — transport is one of the areas people under-use simply because it’s never explained clearly. It matters because transport is what turns funded community participation into something you can actually get to.

How does NDIS Core Transport funding work?

Core Transport (recurring transport) funding is paid to you, on a regular basis, to help with your own travel to work, study, day programs, or social and community activities. It is not for a support worker’s vehicle costs — that is billed separately. There are three funding levels:

• Level 1 – Community access: for participants who aren’t working, studying or attending day programs but want to do more in the community.
• Level 2 – Part-time work or study: for participants working or studying (or both) up to 15 hours a week, attending day programs, or taking part in other social, recreational or leisure activities.
• Level 3 – Work or study: for participants working or studying (or both) at least 15 hours a week.

This funding can be used for taxis, rideshare and other private travel. The NDIA also considers what family, carers or your community network can reasonably provide before deciding how much to fund. It’s paid regularly to your bank account or claimed through the participant portal or the my NDIS app — details are on the NDIS recurring transport supports page.

What happens when a support worker drives you?

If a support worker drives you as part of a community access or personal activities shift — say, to a medical appointment or a social group — that’s different from your own Core Transport funding. It’s charged as provider travel, which since 1 July 2026 is its own itemised line on your invoice, separate from the direct support. Provider travel is capped and must be agreed with you in advance, so ask your provider what their travel arrangements are and what portion of your budget they use. Our travel and transport support covers this — a support worker who drives you and stays to help once you arrive — and pairs naturally with community participation support if the destination is a group, class or activity.

What can public transport, myki and Travellers Aid actually offer?

Public transport is the cheapest option where it runs, and regional Victoria has more accessibility support built in than many people expect. The PTV app has voice-over and large-font options and can tell you when you’ve reached your stop. The Journey Planner shows accessibility details for your route — accessible toilets, hearing loops, lifts, tactile ground surface indicators and ramp access. At Southern Cross, Parkville and Flinders Street stations, Travellers Aid offers a buggy service around the station, accessible toilets with hoists and change tables, a companion service to get you to and from appointments, personal care and meals assistance, mobility equipment hire, and emergency relief for travellers. A buggy and companion service also operates at Seymour Station and Melbourne Airport, and wheelchair connection assistance is available at Geelong and Ballarat stations. If you use a mobility aid, check it against the size and weight limits for trains, trams, buses and coaches before you travel — details are on the accessibility resources for public transport page.

Myki concession fares are available to Disability Support Pension recipients — apply through Transport Victoria. And if you hold a Companion Card, your support worker or carer travels free on trains, trams, country trains, coaches and town buses when they’re with you.

What is community transport, and who runs it?

Community transport is the option people in regional Victoria most often haven’t heard of. Many local councils and community health services run their own transport — bus routes, dial-a-ride bookings, or volunteer drivers — for people who find mainstream public transport difficult, including older residents and people with disability. It’s usually cheaper than a taxi and more flexible than a fixed bus timetable, but needs booking a few days ahead and may run only on set days. Your council’s community services team or local health service is the place to ask what’s available — coverage varies a lot from one shire to the next.

What about taxis, the Multi Purpose Taxi Program and ride-share?

Ordinary taxis and rideshare (Uber, Ola and similar) work anywhere there’s phone or app coverage, but cost adds up fast on longer regional trips, and wheelchair-accessible vehicles are limited — book well ahead if you need one, and check availability before you rely on it for a fixed appointment time.

The Multi Purpose Taxi Program (MPTP) is a Victorian Government subsidy for people whose severe and permanent disability prevents them using public transport safely or independently. Members get a 50% discount on the total fare, up to $60 a trip. Eligibility is assessed by a doctor or medical practitioner, and you apply through Safe Transport Victoria.

Which option suits which situation?

Option	What it suits	How it’s paid for
NDIS Core Transport	Your own travel to work, study, day programs or social activities	Regular NDIS funding, three levels based on hours worked/studied
Support worker driving you	A shift that includes getting somewhere and support once there	Provider travel, itemised separately, agreed with you in advance
Public transport (train, tram, bus, V/Line)	Anyone who can get to a stop or station; cheapest option	Myki fare, concession if eligible; DSP concession myki available
Community transport	Council or health-service area, bookable days ahead	Low fee or council-subsidised; contact your local council
Taxis / MPTP	Door-to-door where public transport isn’t practical	Full fare, or 50% off up to $60/trip for eligible MPTP members
Rideshare	Short trips with app coverage; limited wheelchair vehicles	Standard fare, out of pocket or Core Transport funding
Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV)	Wheelchair users needing a dedicated accessible vehicle	Booked through a WAV or MPTP provider; book well ahead

What if nothing runs on a Sunday?

This is the practical reality of regional Victoria: many community transport services, some council programs and parts of the V/Line network run a reduced timetable — or nothing at all — on Sundays and public holidays. If a Sunday appointment or activity matters, plan around it: check timetables the week before, book community transport or a WAV early, and if it’s a recurring commitment, consider whether a support worker’s shift (with provider travel arranged in advance) is more reliable than relying on a service that may not run that day. This is exactly the kind of practical planning a support coordinator can help with if transport keeps derailing your plan.

Frequently asked questions

Talk to SESI

If transport is the thing stopping you or someone you support from getting out, tell us what’s going on. We provide travel and community access support across Victoria.

Tell us what’s going on: sesi.com.au/referral · Call: 1800 017 374

This guide is general information based on NDIS guidance on recurring transport supports, and Transport Victoria, Safe Transport Victoria and Companion Card Victoria material, current at August 2026. It is not advice about your individual plan. For plan questions call the NDIA on 1800 800 110.