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Cabcharge Procedure

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Section 1 - Context

(1) Official travel is an important element in the delivery of University services. The costs associated with travel are therefore to be managed well and accounted for.

(2) The University has endorsed the use of Cabcharge Taxi eTickets for taxi travel by non staff only. These Procedures support the management and use of Cabcharge Taxi eTickets.

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Section 2 - Procedure

Use of Cabcharge Taxi eTickets

(3) Cabcharge can only be used for official University travel by non-staff. It cannot be used by staff.  Staff are to use the University purchasing card or seek reimbursement through the EMS.

(4) Cabcharge Taxi eTickets are the only Cabcharge issued media to be used for University travel by approved visitors, students or conjoint appointees; Cabcharge Book Vouchers are not to be issued or used and must be returned to the University Custodian for official disposal.

(5) Cabcharge can only be used in taxis that display the Cabcharge logo.

University Custodians

(6) Cabcharge Taxi eTickets can only be ordered from Cabcharge Australia by the University Custodian.

(7) The nominated University Custodians are the Cashiers on the Callaghan Campus.

(8) The University will provide Cabcharge Australia with the names, details and signatures of authorised University Custodians.

(9) Only the Director of Risk & Commercial Services or the Chief Financial Officer may amend the list of authorised officers held by Cabcharge.

(10) University Custodians may issue no more than a block of 10 (ten) Cabcharge Taxi eTickets to any Faculty/Divisional Custodian other than Human Resource Services at any given time. Human Resource Services may be issued with a maximum of 50 (fifty).

Faculty/Divisional Custodians

(11) No more than 15 (fifteen) Cabcharge Taxi eTickets are to be held by a Faculty/Division - except Human Resource Services (HRS) - at any given time. Human Resource Services may hold up to 60 (sixty).

(12) Cabcharge eTickets must be kept by the custodians in a secure location at all times.

(13) Faculty/Divisional Custodians are to advise the University Custodian immediately of any damaged, lost or stolen eTickets.

(14) Faculty/Divisional Custodians issuing Cabcharge Taxi eTickets must at all times be able to account for all eTickets currently held or issued.

(15) For consistency in reporting, the on-line Cabcharge Taxi eTicket Requisition & Allocation Form is to be the only form used. It is an attachment to these procedures.

(16) The Cabcharge Taxi eTicket Requisition & Allocation Form must be kept up to date and completed in full and be available for audit purposes at any time requested.

(17) Faculty/Divisional Custodians issuing Cabcharge Taxi eTickets must satisfy themselves that due economy will be shown by the Cabcharge user before issuing, by ensuring that:

  1. Cabcharge Taxi eTickets are issued for use in the local area only - except where issued by Human Resource Services;
  2. Cabcharge Taxi eTickets are not issued or used as a form of gift voucher or for out of pocket travel reimbursement;
  3. travellers are advised  before the Cabcharge Taxi eTickets are issued that tips or gratuities are not to be added to the eTicket fare; and
  4. Cabcharge Taxi eTickets are not issued for re-occurring travel arrangements; Faculty/Divisional Custodians are to advise travellers that public transport is preferable whenever possible and practicable.

(18) Sanctions as per the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement may be imposed for staff misconduct in relation to these procedures.

(19) Standard procedures for the ordering, issuing, distribution, recording, storage, disposal and auditing of Cabcharge Taxi eTickets must be followed strictly. They are detailed in the following section.

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Section 3 - Ordering and Issuing

Ordering New eTicket Stocks from Cabcharge Australia - University Custodian Only

(20) The University Custodian will order new Cabcharge Taxi eTickets by forwarding a fax to Cabcharge Australia , detailing the volume required - normally a box of 500.

(21) Cabcharge Australia may limit the stocks the University can hold at any one time. Cabcharge may require the University to use eTickets already held before issuing new eTickets. This may require the University Custodian to request the Faculty/Divisional Custodians to return surplus, unused eTicket stocks to the Cashiers at Callaghan for redistribution. Returned eTickets must be accompanied by the Cabcharge Taxi eTicket Requisition & Allocation Form.

(22) The Director, Risk & Commercial Services or the Chief Financial Officer will notify Cabcharge in writing when the name of the University Custodian changes.

Ordering and Issuing to the Faculty/Divisional Custodian of New eTicket Stocks

(23) The Faculty/Divisional Custodian will email the University Callaghan Cashiers finserv-cashiers@newcastle.edu.au requesting an order for a block of eTickets. This email must include approval from a staff member in Delegation Band 5 or higher (see Financial Delegation Schedule). The cashier will advise when the eTickets are available for collection.

(24) When the cashier issues a new block of eTickets, the Faculty/Divisional Custodian will be required to sign for these tickets in the Cabcharge Register. Photo identification e.g. drivers license will be required.

(25) Where it is not possible because of location for the eTickets to be collected from the Callaghan Cashier, the approval email from the Faculty/Divisional Custodian must contain a mailing address. The cashier will advise the mailing date of the eTickets. Five (5) days should be allowed for postage.

(26) Faculty/Divisional Custodians who receive their eTickets by post must send an email to the finserv-cashiers@newcastle.edu.au advising that the eTickets have arrived safely.

(27) On receipt of the eTickets, the Faculty/Divisional Custodian is the responsible custodian of these.

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Section 4 - Distribution and Recording

Distribution and Recording of eTickets by the Faculty/Divisional Custodian

(28) The Faculty/Divisional Custodian will record all details on the Cabcharge Taxi eTicket Band Requisition and Allocation Form for each and every eTicket.

(29) The eTickets should be personally collected from the Faculty/Divisional Custodian where possible by the end user. If this is not practicable and the eTickets are forwarded to the user, the end user should advise the Faculty/Divisional Custodian that they have received the eTicket.

(30) eTickets should only be given out for travel within the local area. If the taxi trip is in excess of the 20 km radius of the campus then public transport should be the preferred method of travel. If public transport is not viable then written prior approval is needed from a staff member in Delegation Band 5 or higher (see Financial Delegation Schedule) to exceed the allowable distance for use of a Cabcharge eTicket. Due economy must be shown. A taxi trip from Newcastle Airport to Ourimbah, for example, does not fulfil this requirement. A rental vehicle may be more appropriate.

(31) Any time an eTicket is issued, damaged, reported lost/ stolen, or sent back into stock; all details related to the ticket issued must be recorded on the Cabcharge Taxi eTicket Requisition & Allocation Form.

(32)  Once all the eTicket sequence numbers on a requisition form have been recorded as used, damaged, lost/stolen, or sent back into stock, the original form and any tax invoices/receipts are to be sent to the University Custodian. A copy of the requisition form is to be kept by the Faculty/Division in order for transactions to be reviewed.

(33) eTicket transactions may be subject to internal/external audit at any time.

Recording of eTickets by the University Custodian

(34) The University Custodian will:

  1. record in the Cabcharge Register all eTickets received from Cabcharge Australia;
  2. complete the Cabcharge Register for all eTickets issued to Faculty/Divisional Custodians;
  3. record all details in the Cabcharge Register of any eTickets returned to stock, damaged, destroyed or reported as lost/stolen;

(35) All original Cabcharge TAXI eTicket Requisition & Allocation Forms returned to the University Custodian are to be kept in accordance with Record Management Guidelines and then forwarded on an annual basis to Record Management for storage and disposal.

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Section 5 - Storage and Disposal

eTicket Storage/Disposal

(36) eTickets held by Custodians should be treated like cash. All unused eTickets must be locked in a drawer, cash box, or other secure location only accessible by the custodian(s).

(37) If an eTicket is damaged, lost or stolen the eTicket sequence number must be reported to the University Custodian so the eTicket can be cancelled.

(38) If a Faculty/Divisional Custodian wishes to return unused tickets (this may be due to damage or the tickets expiring), they must contact the University Custodian.  When returning unused eTickets Faculty/Divisional Custodians must ensure a copy of the related eTicket requisition(s) is attached. eTickets must not be destroyed unless Custodians are instructed in writing by the University Custodian.

(39) Where a Faculty/Divisional Custodian uses eTickets infrequently, any tickets due to expire should be returned to the University Custodian/Cashier.

(40) A Faculty/Divisional Custodian should not hold more than fifteen (15) eTickets at any given time. Exception applies to Human Resource Services who may hold up to 60 (sixty).

Charges

(41) On a monthly basis the University Custodian will prepare a Journal using the data from Cabcharge and the cost collector supplied in the Cabcharge Register to allocate the charges for the use of eTickets.

(42) The Journal will be sent to Financial Management Accounting for processing.

Record Keeping and Audit

(43) The University Custodian is responsible for:

  1. filing all correspondence received from Cabcharge;
  2. maintaining the active Cabcharge Register;
  3. filing all authorising email requests for eTickets;
  4. filing all Cabcharge Taxi eTicket Requisition & Allocation Forms returned to them by the Faculty/Divisional Custodians;
  5. archiving all inactive Cabcharge Registers with Records Management;
  6. archiving all documents on an annual basis by sending them to the Records Management Office; (Records Management  will keep these documents for 7 years in accordance with statutory requirements);
  7. having all relevant documentation available for audit requirements.

(44) The Faculty/Divisional Custodian is responsible for:-

  1. keeping and filing an office copy of the Cabcharge Taxi eTicket Requisition & Allocation Form; and
  2. sending the original completed Cabcharge Taxi eTicket Requisition & Allocation Form along with any receipts/tax invoices, and approval emails re trips in excess of the 20 km limit, to the University Custodian.

(45) The office copy of the Cabcharge Taxi eTicket Requisition & Allocation Form is to be kept for 12 months in the department for audit requirements, departmental review or reference. As the original form will be lodged with Records Management by the University Custodian the copy of the form can be destroyed after 12 months.

(46) eTicket transactions may be subject to internal/external audit at any time.

(47) The Faculty/Division should review transactions periodically to ascertain that the procedures are being followed.