A FUEL bill that has almost doubled in the last month is just another blow to Orange's taxi operators, who are already battling the NSW Government's proposed reform of the industry which will ultimately devalue their licences.
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Taxi Cabs of Orange board chair Darryl Curran describe the rapid increase in the price of a petrol as 'ugly', for the industry with his fuel bill rising from around $2000 to over $3500 last month.
"Unlike ride share we can't just choose to put our prices up," Mr Curran said on Wednesday.
"In order for our prices to go up we have to go through the NSW Government, Transport for NSW to get a fare increase."
He said The NSW Taxi Council, the industry's peak body, has written to TfNSW to request an urgent increase to fares and cut fuel excise but Mr Curran's said time was running short.
"It needs to be looked at really quickly because it's not something we can sustain for a long period of time," he said.
"A lot of our drivers, myself included, have access to Uber on our phones and we get notifications saying "we're [ride share groups] just putting our fares up". They can do it instantly, we can't do that. We've got to go through the NSW Government and we all know what that bureaucracy can be like."
The value of taxi licences, once considered an asset similar to a home, has been eroded since 2016 with the owners now campaigning for adequate compensation through the NSW Taxi's pledge of support.
"We need to get our market value of what our plates were worth before the industry was deregulated in 2015," Mr Curran said.
"It the government gives us what the plate is worth, I think the taxi industry can still thrive, I really do. And it's fair."
Like most hospitality industries, taxis were hit hard during COVID and Mr Curran said the Orange co-op is struggling to recover with 27 cars on it books.
He said those cars were all in operation on Friday and Saturday nights but demand was always going to outstrip supply in some instances.
He was responding to claims patrons from the recent Ronald McDonald House Charity ball waited over an hour for a cab, and concerns the upcoming FOOD week might result in similar waiting times.
"An event like Ronald McDonald ball where there are 300 or 400 people released at the same time, there is always going to be big issues with delays," he said.
It needs to be looked at really quickly because it's not something we can sustain for a long period of time.
- Taxi Cabs of Orange board chair Darryl Curran
"It is one of the biggest nights of the year's for us so I don't think it was COVID-related, it was just supply and demand. We just got smashed.
"The average taxi does, on a good hour, five fares an hour that time of the night," he said adding the cut in late-night trading hours exacerbate the issue.
"They [pub patrons] are going home earlier so we get the Parkview out at the same time, we get the everybody closing up. There's no real late trader. That late trader used to dilute that peak. We don't have that anymore.
"But ... on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night they're earning as little as $10 or $12 an hour."
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Kate Bowyer
Kate Bowyer is a senior reporter at the Central Western Daily.
Kate Bowyer is a senior reporter at the Central Western Daily.
