From what they describe as an uneven playing field to concerns about passengers’ personal safety, the drivers are far from welcoming the arrival of Uber, which has said it will be operating in Wagga by December.

Raelene Kinder, who drives on a casual basis, said she had previously worked in the taxi industry in Queensland, where Uber was already operating.

“I reckon it will affect Wagga drivers,” Ms Kinder said.

“In Queensland, I heard bad reports about Uber.

“They don’t have the same checks. Anyone can be an Uber driver.”

Another driver, who did not want to be named, told The Daily Advertiser he was concerned that there was no level playing field between licensed cabbies and Uber drivers.

“They’re not insured in the same way and they don’t have the regulated fares. And what about police checks on drivers?” he said.

“So much for a level playing field. I don’t know where it’s going to end up.

“I do OK, but you’ve got to be willing to really put in the hours.”

A third driver, who also asked not to be named, said ride-sharing had been “happening unofficially in Wagga for years”.

While this driver said she was not worried about Uber’s arrival, she questioned whether passengers would actually save money by using a ride-sharing service rather than a traditional taxi.

“It will be interesting to see whether they charge extra when it gets busy. I think the fares will go up then,” she said.

App-based Uber allows private drivers to find people wanting a ride. At the end of the trip, both the driver and passenger are asked to provide ratings for each other.

Despite the concerns of taxi drivers, the response from readers of The Daily Advertiser to Uber’s planned expansion into regional areas has been overwhelmingly positive.

Many of the comments on The DA’s Facebook page cited cheaper fares as the biggest reason to welcome Uber.

By late on Tuesday, 85 per cent of people who voted in The DA’s online poll said they would use Uber.

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