Narrabri taxis’ Uber concern

Narrabri is well served by its taxi industry which comprises four taxi owners and five taxis which, with employed drivers, provide income for eight families and a valued local service.

An announcement that Uber has plans to extend its operations into Narrabri, and across the entire state, has caused some concern, said cab owner and director of Narrabri Radio Cabs, Doug Orman.

“But it is something we were aware would happen sooner or later,” said Mr Orman.

“It is pretty disturbing, but there is nothing much we can do about it.”

Narrabri’s taxi service is comprehensive and convenient.

“We operate weekdays from 6am until midnight and a 24 hour service on Fridays and Saturdays through to Sunday about 11pm,” said Mr Orman.

“There is usually a taxi on the rank.”

In a statement yesterday, Uber announced that its app would be ‘turned on’ right across country NSW, including Narrabri, in April.

“This will make it one of the largest geographic areas Uber covers anywhere in the world,” Uber Australia general manager Dom Taylor said.

“Our first regional city to launch was Newcastle in 2016. Since then we’ve expanded to towns like Orange, Tamworth and Byron Bay.”

Tourism and Transport Forum Australia CEO Margy Osmond applauded the move.

“TTF applauds Uber’s commitment to growing transport choices for both residents and visitors to regional towns across NSW and it will be really exciting to watch these regions light up in the coming months,” she said.

Mr Orman said there were no avenues to pursue to combat the Uber disruption.

However, the practicalities of operating Uber in Narrabri, in competition with a local established taxi service, were yet to be tested.

“Uber has been made legal in NSW. But I just can’t see it working too well here – people don’t want to sit there all day for nothing, waiting for a call,” he suggested.

“I have spoken to the industry in Tamworth and been told drivers come and go and it hasn’t made a huge impact in that city. Uber drivers are there for country Music Festival and other big events.

“The biggest blow to the taxi industry has been the Government subsidised on-demand bus service,” Mr Orman added.

“The subsidised Moree bus service has annihilated the Moree taxi businesses. There were 16 taxis in Moree and now most have handed their plates in,” he said.

The Narrabri taxi industry fears that the same kind of government subsidised bus service will ultimately happen in other country towns and Narrabri won’t be immune.

These kinds of disruptions, the government subsidised bus service and Uber, could condemn the taxi industry, Mr Orman said.

“My father Barry Orman was an owner driver for 30 years and I took over and I have a debt to meet like others who have bought cabs,” he said.

“The attacks on small business are not helping our small communities.”

Bert Evans is a relative newcomer to the industry and bought a cab in November last year.

“I can’t see how Uber will operate more cheaply than the local taxi service,” he said “And local cabbies provide a personal level of service well above picking up and dropping off passengers.

“Cabbies help people with their groceries, wait for them at fast food outlets, with the meter off.

“We are a rigorously controlled industry and must meet many criteria across security and character checks, such as caring for the elderly, and the disabled and be licenced to work with children before someone can become a cabbie. And the taxi operators pay a raft of annual fees to the government.”