Travellers Aid Australia

What Travellers Aid Australia does

Travellers Aid Australia is a Victorian non-profit charitable organisation founded in 1916 that provides accessibility and travel-assistance services to people with mobility needs, disability, frailty, or vulnerability. It operates seven service hubs embedded within major transport interchanges across Victoria — Southern Cross Station, Flinders Street Station, Melbourne Airport, Parkville Station, Ballarat Station, Seymour Station and Geelong Station — delivering a coordinated suite of free and fee-for-service offerings including Connection Assistance (buggy/wheelchair transfers), Travel Companion Service (volunteer escorts to appointments and events), Personal Care Service, Crisis Travel Assistance, Luggage Storage, Mobility Equipment Hire (scooters, wheelchairs, walking aids), Shower and Change Room Facilities, and Accessible Events support at venues such as the Australian Open, Moomba Festival and the F1 Australian Grand Prix.

The organisation also sells structured training programmes — Disability Awareness Training (online, 'Travelling in the Shoes of Others', Customised Accessibility Awareness Workshop), Buggy Training, and Community Travel Training — and provides digital Accessibility Resources such as station visual stories and virtual tours. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations are service-based, centred on trained staff and volunteers, supported only by commodity integrations (Google reCAPTCHA, Google Maps, referrals to Melbourne Airport's Online Mobility Hub).

The revenue model is a hybrid of fee-for-service (mobility equipment hire, shower facilities at $10 full / $7.50 concession, change rooms at $2 full / $1 concession), event fundraising (e.g., Trivia Night 2026 at $80/ticket), and government/charitable funding from the Victorian Government, V/Line, City of Melbourne, and individual donors. Core accessibility services are deliberately provided free of charge to eligible users. The organisation is classified as a Health Service Provider under Victoria's Health Records Act 2001 and is working towards WCAG 2.2 Level AA compliance on its digital properties.

Name

Travellers Aid Australia

Legal name

Travellers Aid Australia

Website

https://travellersaid.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Travellers Aid Australia is a Victorian non-profit, founded 1916, that provides free and low-cost accessibility, travel-companion, and mobility-equipment services to people with disability, mobility needs, or frailty at seven transport hubs across Victoria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accessibility and Disability Support Services

NAICS

Special Needs Transportation (485991), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation (48599)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

ADA/Accessible Paratransit (Complementary to Fixed-Route Transit) (THAIAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transportation, Escort & Appointment Accompaniment (Non-Medical) (HSABAAAF), Mobility & Transfer Assistance (HSABABAD), Accessibility & Special Assistance Ground Transport Programs (THACAIAK)

Keywords

• Accessibility services
• Mobility assistance
• Travel companion services
• Disability support
• Community transport assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Fee-for-Service (Mobility Equipment Hire): Hire of mobility equipment including electric scooters, manual wheelchairs, strollers, walking canes and frames, and crutches. Users pay for equipment hire while companion and connection assistance services remain free.
2. Shower and Change Room Facilities: Fee-based shower facilities ($10 full rate, $7.50 concession) and change room access ($2 full rate, $1 concession) at Southern Cross Station. Funds raised support people experiencing disadvantage.
3. Government and Charitable Funding: Core connection assistance and companion services are provided free of charge, funded through government grants, partnerships (V/Line, Victorian Government), and donations. The organization is a not-for-profit established in 1916.
4. Event Fundraising: Annual trivia night fundraiser ($80 per ticket, $600 for table of 8) to support the valuable work of Travellers Aid. Additional fundraising through donations and bequests.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Travellers Aid Australia provides free mobility and accessibility assistance services at seven transport hubs across Victoria, including buggy transfers, wheelchair assistance, and travel companion support for people with disability, mobility impairments, or frailty. Core offerings include Connection Assistance at major stations and Melbourne Airport, Travel Companion Service using trained volunteers, Mobility Equipment Hire (fee-for-service), Personal Care Service, Crisis Travel Assistance, Luggage Storage, and Accessible Events support.

Product overview

Travellers Aid Australia is a not-for-profit accessibility services organisation offering a coordinated suite of services across multiple Victorian transport hubs. The core offering consists of Connection Assistance (buggy/wheelchair services at Southern Cross, Parkville, Ballarat, Seymour, Geelong Stations and Melbourne Airport), Travel Companion Service (volunteer companions for appointments and outings), Personal Care Service, Crisis Travel Assistance, Luggage Storage, and Mobility Equipment Hire. The organisation also provides Accessible Events support, Disability Awareness Training programs, Buggy Training, and Community Travel Training. These services collectively enable people with mobility challenges, disabilities, or other support needs to access public transport and participate in community life.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 2078 instances of assistance at Australian Open 2024

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Queen Victoria MarketminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership with City of Melbourne to provide companion services at Queen Victoria Market during summer months, enabling people with mobility challenges to enjoy the iconic market and Summer Night Market.
• V/LinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerV/Line supports Seymour Station Connection Assistance Service and the Travel Companion Service. V/Line staff refer customers to Travellers Aid services for mobility assistance. Partnership provides funding for buggy connection assistance at regional rail stations.
• Victorian GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVictorian Government supports Parkville Station Connection Assistance Service. Government funding enables free accessibility services at the Parkville medical precinct transport hub.
• City of MelbournecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Melbourne supports the Travel Companion Service and event accessibility initiatives. Partnership enables companion services for people accessing Melbourne CBD attractions and events.
• Melbourne AirportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMelbourne Airport provides the Melbourne Airport Assist service, helping travellers with disability or mobility requirements navigate between car parks, check-in areas, baggage halls, and passenger pick-up/drop-off zones. Complimentary accessibility service operated by Travellers Aid.
• Tennis AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide accessibility support at Australian Open tennis tournament. 2078 instances of assistance provided in 2024. Collaboration with Yarra Trams, AO Radio, Vision Australia, Hidden Disability Sunflower, BindiMaps, and Paralympian Dylan Alcott.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Royal Flying Doctor Service: Australian non-profit delivering healthcare and patient transport across regional and remote Australia. Comparable as an established Australian charity providing transport-related services, but operates in healthcare logistics rather than urban mobility assistance.

Direct peers

• Whizz-Kidz: UK mobility equipment charity providing wheelchairs and powered mobility to disabled young people. Comparable to Travellers Aid's Mobility Equipment Hire service and overall mission of enabling independent travel.
• Scenterprises: UK charity operating from major railway stations providing passenger assistance services to disabled and older travellers. Closest functional analogue to Travellers Aid's hub-based Connection Assistance model.
• Mobility Hire (UK): UK mobility equipment rental company operating at airports and tourist destinations. Directly comparable to Travellers Aid's fee-based Mobility Equipment Hire service at Southern Cross Station and Melbourne Airport.
• QEF (Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) Mobility: UK charity providing mobility equipment, accessible travel services, and disability awareness training. Directly comparable across equipment hire, training, and accessible-travel service lines.

Others

• Aruma: Large Australian disability services non-profit (formed from the merger of House with No Steps and Activ Foundation). Adjacent peer in the Australian disability-services ecosystem that shares funding sources and referral networks.
• Scope Australia: Major Australian disability support non-profit providing a broad range of disability services. Comparable as a peer disability-services provider in the same Australian market, though not focused on transport-hub assistance.
• Guide Dogs Victoria: Victorian affiliate of Guide Dogs Australia providing mobility aids and orientation services to people who are blind or have low vision. Shares the mission of enabling independent mobility and community participation in the same Victorian catchment.

Emerging players

• Aerobility: UK charity enabling disabled people to access aviation through accessible flights and training. Overlaps with Travellers Aid's airport-based accessibility services (Melbourne Airport Assist) at a more specialized aviation-focused niche.

Broad incumbents

• Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality (SATH): Global non-profit advocacy organization promoting accessible travel worldwide. Operates at a broader industry level than Travellers Aid, but shares the mission of enabling disabled travellers to navigate transport systems.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TravellersAid
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@travellersaid6303
• Facebookfacebook.com/travellersaidaustralia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/travellers-aid-australia
• Instagraminstagram.com/travellersaid

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Travellers Aid Australia