Taxi Industry says drivers can get a fair go despite rideshare competition

TAXIS are competing with three major ridesharing services for dominance in the Far North.

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TAXIS drivers are still hopeful of getting a fair go with fare-paying passengers, despite competition from three ridesharing services in the Far North.

Cairns Taxis managing director Layne Gardiner said he was optimistic that taxis could co-exist with competitors.

“Our observations are that most of the work services like Uber gets comes from tourists that use them in their home country,” he said.

“There’s still good money to be made for taxi drivers, the decrease in what drivers can earn hasn’t been too obvious.”

“I think we’re doing as well as can be expected in the current economic environment.”

Mr Gardiner said the term ‘ridesharing’ was a misnomer.

“They charge you for it just like we do, and it has had an effect on us,” he said.

“Our pick-up and drop-offs at the airport are still fairly strong and 75 per cent of our vehicles are hybrids.”

While Uber remains the top dog among the private ridesharing businesses, 1300 Ride Share and Muve have established their own niches in the Far North.

1300 Ride Share owner John McRoberts said he considered their cars a hybrid of an Uber and a traditional taxi.

Managing Director John and Director Ray McRober. PICTURE: JUSTIN BRIERTY

“We consider it a personalised service, and most of our customers are repeats,” he said.

1300 Ride Share is the smallest of the services currently operating in Cairns, with just 20 active drivers.

Many Uber drivers will join another rideshare service as a way of getting more income, which the companies support.

There are more than 500 registered taxi drivers in Cairns.

The legalisation of ride-sharing services such as Uber has hit the taxi industry hard across the state, with licences previously valued at $500,000 struggling to make back a quarter of their original value.

The Queensland Government provided $100 million in transitional assistance for taxi drivers, but Transport Minister Mark Bailey said last week that they never guaranteed taxi drivers “private investments”.

Originally published as Taxi Industry says drivers can get a fair go despite rideshare competition