The NSW Taxi Council says it's not worried despite an increase in the use of ride-sharing services in Newcastle such as Uber.
A survey commissioned by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal shows ride-share usage has doubled in since its introduction in Newcastle last year, jumping from nine to eighteen percent.
Survey participants said ride-share services offer better value of money and shorter wait times.
However, CEO of the Taxi Council Roy Wakelin-King says ride-sharing services such as Uber are enjoying an unfair price advantage because they aren't paying their fair share of insurance costs.
"If you're a taxi in Newcastle in particular, you're paying upwards of $9,500 per vehicle per annum. Whereas, if you're a ride-sharing vehicle, you're being cross-subsidised by private vehicle owners and you're only paying somewhere around $600 to $700. Now that's clearly an unfair advantage and something which is unsustainable. The government's recognised that and is taking steps to fix that," he said.
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| Taxi Council CEO Roy Wakelin-King |
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