The NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) launched the inquiry in August to recommend future taxi fares in regional areas of the state, in the wake of urban areas operating under a different rate.

"Drivers in Wagga have only had a one per cent pay rise since the co-op was formed in the '60s," Joseph Smith said.

When he was a driver between 1985 and 1992 in Wagga, drivers received 40 per cent of their shift takings, excluding 10 per cent GST and additional income tax if they earned enough.

"(Our rate went to) 41 per cent with the introduction of the GST in 2000, while the majority of the state is on 50 per cent," Mr Smith said.

"We're ridiculously underpaid.

"We don't get any sick pay, we don't get any holiday pay and we don't get any kind of superannuation contributions.

"From a driver's point of view, we kind of need to be in line with the rest of Australia.

"As far as I know, we're the only co-op on 41 per cent."

To compare, Mr Smith took home between $800 and $1000 each week in 2012 and is now stretched to take home between $600 and $700 excluding GST.

"Drivers are below the poverty line," he said.

"I'd like to see the Sydney determination stretch to country drivers as it does in Victoria."

Mr Smith attributed the alleged limited Wagga taxi availability to lack of demand, particularly early during the week.

"Not all the cabs are on the road," Mr Smith clarified.

"(They) can't get drivers because no one wants to sit out there for 12 hours at a time, putting up with a lot of abuse from drunken people and take home, before tax, less than $10 an hour."

He explained Wagga taxis worked on an odds and even roster, with about 15 of the 33 taxis on early during the week and almost all later in the week.

About seven of those were maxis.

While he admitted good money could be made on big events like New Year's Eve and Wagga Gold Cup, he warned it wasn't unusual for people to wait up to an hour.

Mr Smith justified Wagga taxi fees because country rates were higher, despite drivers receiving less pay than elsewhere in Australia.

The digital metres in Wagga cabs are calculated by both time and distance, either when in motion or stopped at lights.

Country taxi drivers are considered a bailee driver by NSW Industrial Relations, meaning they hold a NSW Taxi Driver Authority and takes a cab on bailment from the bailor.

"In the country, we fall between the cracks," Mr Smith said.

"The co-op decides the rules and we have to abide by them."

He said runners - customers who take off from taxis before paying - had become increasingly rife in Wagga over the years, particularly since the May budget was handed down.

Wagga has taxi ranks at Station Place, Gurwood Street, Forsyth Street and around suburbs including Ashmont, Turvey Park, Tolland and Kooringal.

Mr Smith is encouraging everyone to make a submission as part of the inquiry.

AN independent tribunal has pulled ranked on what Wagga locals describe to be an overpriced and understaffed taxi service.

Customers across the state have just over a weel remaining to submit feedback about taxi services in regional and country areas under the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal's (IPART) inquiry.

Looking at areas relating to taxi availability and affordability, the findings will be used to help IPART recommend future taxi fares in different regional and country areas.

IPART, a NSW government agency that makes decisions independent of the government, initiated the inquiry in August to gain insight into country taxi services, given there are two taxi fare schedules for urban (applies in Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong and surrounding area) and country regions (applies in all other areas of NSW except a small number of areas bordering Victoria that are exempt from fare regulation).

"In our last two fare reviews we have closely examined data for Sydney taxi services, including data about taxi licence numbers, taxi fares, the costs of operating taxi services and their interaction, but we have maintained the two existing schedules, keeping other urban fares the same as Sydney's and country fares different," an IPART spokeswoman said.

"However, the limited data available for country and other urban areas suggests there is significant variation in costs and business structures within these areas as well as between them.

"Licensing arrangements also differ between Sydney and all other parts of NSW.

"Therefore, we think it timely to review fares and the fare schedules for country areas and urban areas other than Sydney, separately from our review of fares for Sydney."

The spokeswoman said it was too early to glean any emerging trends in the survey, which had only received more than 100 responses as of last week.

"The survey responses will be used to help guide the future direction of taxi fares and will be considered as part of the preparation of our draft report," she said.

"Basically, whether the current services and fares are meeting the community's needs.

The survey closes on November 18 and a draft report will be released in April.

The inquiry will officially finish in May when IPART puts forward recommendations to NSW Transport for new fares from July 1.

The IPART tribunal, appointed by the NSW Premier, includes up to three permanent members and any additional temporary members to assist on specific investigations.

In addition to seeking passenger views, IPART is also surveying taxi drivers and operators.

The survey can be completed at www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/Home/Taxi_Survey

SECURITY presence and increased lighting are at the crux of a proposal to upgrade the Gurwood Street taxi rank.

Wagga policeman Paul Huggett is calling for public feedback and comment that will form a submission to be forwarded to the Roads and Maritime Services to make the problematic rank more secure.

"(The rank) really captures the crowd from Romano's, The Duke of Kent and The Home, and there's exactly 1.5km from here to Station Place," Sergeant Huggett said, adding many incidents went unreported.

"From a crime and physical environment, we've got four laneways.

"Station Place has none of that.

"It isn't desirable."

The submission will detail the need for improved lighting (given the only source currently comes from business shopfronts) and the presence of two security guards on Friday and Saturday nights (in addition to major events during the year) between 9pm and 5am.

Sergeant Huggett explained some taxis were being called to pick people up half a block from the rank because it was so undesirable during those times.

"It's an antisocial melting pot," he said.

Feedback has also indicated a need for increased seating with the taxi line often stretching around onto Fitzmaurice Street.

Station place, one of three city ranks alongside suburban ranks in Ashmont, Turvey Park, Tolland and Kooringal, has had security guards monitoring the area on Friday and Saturday nights since 2005.

"It appears to be a much happier and more secure place," he said.

Wagga Radio Cabs applied to the NSW Department of Transport in 2009 to have guards employed at the Gurwood Street rank, but their bid was rejected under a lack of support from other key areas of the community.

Sergeant Huggett put the idea back on the agends and said all stakeholders were on board, including local businesses and Wagga City Council.

He hopes the submission will come into force by New Year's Eve, but is realistic about the time restraints.

"If it's March next year, it's March next year," he said.

"We'll keep still battling on like we have been.

"(I encourage) any members of the community who have any experience at the Gurwood Street rank on a Friday and Saturday night to email me."

Any comments can be emailed to: waggasecuretaxi@police.nsw.gov.au

WAGGA residents have pointed to costs and waiting times as the two most concerning issues relating to local taxi services.

Wagga amputee Barb Ryan, confined to a wheelchair since her 20s because of spina bifida, is a regular maxi taxi and bus user since both her legs were amputated in 2009.

While she receives a government travel subsidy, Ms Ryan believes the cost and waiting time when booking a Wagga cab is a concern for those who pay full-price.

"It's price if it's coming out of your own pocket and it's waiting time," she said.

"It's over $4 before you start when you book.

"I couldn't use a taxi full-time or if it was (coming out of) my own pocket.

"I don't know how people who have to pay full-time could do it all the time."

Ms Ryan also cited waiting times as an issue, particularly of a morning and afternoon when taxis do a school drop-off for school children in wheelchairs, having once waited up to 45 minutes for a booking.

"It's (because) disabled cabs have been on jobs," she said.

"Overall, there's a shortage (of taxis).

"You only have to look at a rank on Friday and Saturday night and see people waiting and that's when the blues are happening.

"Majority of the time, you're probably all right but busier times (it's harder to catch a cab)."

But Ms Ryan praised the service of the drivers.

RSL Remembrance Village resident Wendy Chalker, 77, believed the availability of maxi taxis sometimes posed a problem during the morning and afternoons with school drop-offs.

"Sometimes it is a bit awkward to get a maxi at those times," she said.

"I really think when it's busy with the school runs and things like that, there could maybe be extra ones."

The wheelchair-bound pensioner, who pays only half price taxi fares when she uses them about twice a week for appointments, shopping and social activities, said the drivers were always helpful.

"I'm always treated very well and most of the drivers are very good to me," she said.

"I can't say anything against the drivers because they've been very good to me, very courteous and do everything to help me."

Wagga residents Andrew Murray said the cost of Wagga taxis were a "rip off", while friend Jarreth Bootes was forced to phone the taxi company more than once before his booking turned up more than half an hour late.