Townsville Airport taxi services lambasted by leading lawyer
A high-profile lawyer has labelled the lack of late-night taxi services at Townsville Airport a “disgrace” that blights the reputation of the city.
Townsville
Don't miss out on the headlines from Townsville. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A highly regarded lawyer has labelled the lack of late-night taxi services at Townsville Airport an “absolute disgrace” that tarnishes the reputation of the city as a respected business and tourism destination.
“I fear for the reputational damage to Townsville from overseas visitors and businesspeople coming in, particularly tourists who arrive here late at night – it’s like a hick town,” property and commercial lawyer David Bowers says.
“Our reputation as a tourism and business destination is being severely damaged by the lack of taxis available, particularly at night time.
“We just can’t get people away from the airport within a reasonable timeframe.”
Mr Bowers of Dillon Bowers Lawyers says local residents without family members who cannot afford the exorbitant long-term parking fees are also at the mercy of taxi companies and ride-hailing services such as Uber.
“You’ve got local people coming back from long holidays, they are completely exhausted, or they are coming up for business and then they have to line up at this taxi rank, which is like a ghost town.”
Mr Bowers says he had been told by a taxi driver – in comments supported by one independent transport operator – that there is a severe shortage of drivers.
He called on the new state government, Townsville City Council and airport operator to take “urgent action” to work together to fix the issue.
“Particularly the premier (David Crisafulli) having originally lived in Townsville, they seem to be doing a lot of things but if he wants to help council help Townsville as a tourism destination, then something needs to be done to fix this,” he said.
“I’m calling on the premiere and the local council, now they seem to have sorted out their internal ructions, to get on with supporting Townsville as a tourism destination.”
A spokesperson for 13cabs agreed there was a shortage of taxis in Townsville, saying the company had engaged with the previous Miles Government “for a number of years without success”.
13cabs Townsville, part of Australia’s largest taxi network, has a rating of just 1.6 stars out of 5 from 218 Google reviews.
“We hope new Premier David Crisafulli will take the issue more seriously and work with industry to provide a better outcome for all.”
The spokesperson “shared the frustration of both tourists visiting Townsville and local residents when we hear about cases like this”.
“The Queensland Government has not issued any new taxi licenses for over a decade, even though we have cars and drivers ready and willing to work in Townsville,” he said.
“We strongly believe the people of Townsville and all of Queensland deserve better, and we urge the Government to collaborate with the industry to resolve this matter as soon as possible.”
Minister for Transport and Main Roads Brent Mickelberg has been contacted for comment.
A Townsville Airport spokesperson said it also understood “customers’ frustrations regarding the limited availability of taxis and ride-share options in the Townsville region”.
“(We) have shared these concerns with the appropriate agencies.”
Townsville City Council says it “welcomes further conversation with Townsville Airport to identify ways transport services to and from the airport can be improved”.
A TCC spokesperson said this included adding public bus routes to the airport.
“Townsville Airport’s Meenan Street entry redevelopment was undertaken in late 2019 to provide a single-stream entry way to the airport to improve traffic flow,” they say.
“Council applied for funding through the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund, which was used in conjunction with funding from Townsville Airport to deliver this vital project.”
Townsville Enterprise CEO Claudia Brumme-Smith said the peak economic development and destination marketing organisation had “communicated our concerns around the lack of available taxis during peak times to our Airport and relevant stakeholders”.
“The Townsville Airport is a key connector for our city, and we understand the importance of easy transfers for both business and leisure visitors.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Townsville Airport taxi services lambasted by leading lawyer
‘Prepare now’: More flooding looms for Burdekin region
Burdekin residents are being urged to prepare now for moderate flooding to impact some suburbs and potentially cut off the Bruce Highway between Ayr and Home Hill.
‘Testing NQ’s resilience’: Life-threatening flood warning, 250mm weekend forecast
Extra swiftwater rescue crews, police and boats are being sent north from southeast Queensland ahead of what the Premier has warned will be another severe weekend of devastation for an already-saturated and “hurting” region.