RIDE-SHARING service Uber has announced it has “no current plans” to launch in Wagga despite citing a huge demand from the region’s residents.
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Calls have grown louder for the controversial service to make its long awaited debut in a desperate attempt to reduce cab waiting times and make the city’s nightlife more appealing.
Police have also welcomed the potential for more transport alternatives, like Uber, which they believe would reduce the number of drink-driving offences throughout the Riverina.
An Uber representative told The Daily Advertiser it had still not ruled out a future foray into Wagga.
“We know there is a huge demand for ride-sharing in these regional communities across New South Wales, particularly given many regional centres are currently under-served by transport,” he said.
“The city’s residents are calling out for a more affordable and reliable way to get around their local area.
“Having access to safe, reliable and affordable transport lowers incidences of drink driving – an issue that is particularly felt in regional communities across the country."
The revelation came as a relief to Wagga’s current taxi drivers, who feared the polarising ride-share application would “devastate” their industry.
Cabbie Joseph Smith said it will give Wagga’s taxi operators more time to refine their services.
“The thought of having Uber here has been a threat to our local drivers and now they’ll be given the space to really knuckle down and get better,” he said.
“Uber drivers aren’t regulated and so they’re able to take more pay and that means they have more drivers interested and more service.
“If taxi drivers were given more incentive people wouldn’t need to demand Uber in the first place.”
It comes after an Advertiser survey found 68 percent of readers would use the service.
Meanwhile My Country Taxi, an independent ride-sharing app, launched in Albury this month with plans of expanding.