Taxi Firm May Join The Ranks

Illawarra Mercury

Thursday March 13, 2008

By JODIE MINUS

TWO taxi co-operatives could exist in the small Wollongong market by May after representatives from the Kingsgrove-based St George cabs met with Illawarra taxi owners on Monday.

Wollongong Radio Cabs is presently the only taxi service operating in Wollongong but some owners are unhappy with the management of the co-operative and plan to defect to rival St George.

St George cabs spokesman Rod Frail said about 20 owners attended the meeting at the Illawarra Steelers Club on Monday night.

"Clearly there are a group of people who have expressed a desire to join St George and operate in the Wollongong area," he said.

"Now it is just a matter for St George to gauge how strong that demand is before deciding whether to move forward."

He said only 20 owners were needed to make a new co-operative viable and that St George needed confirmation from interested people by mid-April.

"It will be around about 20 (to make it viable) ... and if St George is willing to look at it, obviously there is a belief there that it could work if the numbers are right," Mr Frail said.

Earlier this month a meeting between the Wollongong Radio Cabs board, taxi owners and lessees degenerated into a slanging match as two clear factions emerged among the co-operative's members.

The meeting was held to discuss a letter circulated by cab owner John Bernardi, which outlined the benefits of joining St George and establishing a rival taxi service in the Illawarra.

Members and lessees aired grievances ranging from the price of co-operative shares and the tender of docket work, to problems with the communication systems.