News
5 November, 2026
Forum to look at options following closure of taxi service
A transport forum will be held in Moss Vale on Friday to discuss transport options across the region moving forward following the shock closure of Southern Highlands Taxis.
A transport forum will be held in Moss Vale on Friday to discuss transport options across the region moving forward following the shock closure of Southern Highlands Taxis.
The forum has been organised by Business Southern Highlands and Wingecarribee Shire Council and will be held in the council theatrette commencing at 10.30am.
Businesses impacted by the closure and transport providers are being invited to register their interest in attending the forum at info@sh.business
As reported by The Southern Wire, Southern Highlands Taxis closed without notice on Monday leaving many Southern Highlanders stranded.
BSH chair Greg Welsh described the closure as disappointing and fears the region’s visitor economy will suffer.
He said the aim of the forum would be “to identify practical ways to close the gap (left by Southern Highlands Taxis) and to keep visitors and residents moving safely”.
In a statement issued earlier this week, Mr Welsh said the closure would leave a “significant gap” in the region’s tourist marketplace.
“Most of the remaining transport providers operate on a pre-booked basis and do not offer kerbside pick-up, leaving visitors arriving by train, leaving a restaurant or moving between villages with few options for a same-day ride,” he said.
“This is a real loss for our tourism and hospitality businesses.
“Visitors expect to step off a train or walk out of a cellar door and get a ride.
“Without a kerbside service, that expectation goes unmet and it effects where people choose to eat, stay and spend.”
While the exact reason for the closure is unknown, Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman and the NSW Taxi Council have pointed the finger of blame at the NSW Government.
Mrs Tuckerman described the closure as “heartbreaking” for a local, family-owned business that had “faithfully served the community for more than three decades”.
She said it was a devastating outcome for employees, local families and vulnerable passengers.
“Behind every business closure is the story of the people,” Mrs Tuckerman said.
“Drivers, administration staff, families and passengers who all now face uncertainty because of a system that has become increasingly difficult to operate within and a Government who doesn’t care to change it."
Mrs Tuckerman said the closure highlighted long-standing concerns about the inequity of the NSW Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance system for taxi operators.
A 2025 review of the CTP insurance scheme found a significant disparity between CTP premiums paid by taxis and rideshare operators, despite both providing point-to-point transport services.
The NSW Parliamentary Committee which carried out the review recommended that taxis and rideshare vehicles be grouped into a single class for CTP insurance, as already occurs in Queensland and Victoria.
The Committee found that country taxis can pay around $4,000 per vehicle in CTP insurance, while rideshare operators may pay between $400 and $700.
It also warned of an ongoing decline in taxi services across regional NSW, including impacts on wheelchair-accessible transport and services for vulnerable communities.
Mrs Tuckerman said the warning signs had been there for years.
"The Parliamentary Committee made it crystal clear that the taxi industry was being hollowed out and that regulatory inaction was contributing to the problem.
"The Committee specifically called for taxis and rideshare operators to be placed in the same CTP class within six months.
“Instead of acting, the Labor Government simply 'noted' the recommendation and kicked the issue into yet another review."
Mrs Tuckerman said vulnerable residents including wheelchair users, veterans, school students and people attending medical appointments would now bear the consequences.
"For many people in regional communities, taxis are not a luxury – they are an essential service."
Mrs Tuckerman called on the NSW Government to urgently address the “competitive imbalance” facing the taxi industry before more regional operators were forced to close.
"If the Government continues to ignore the mounting costs and red tape facing regional transport providers, more businesses will disappear and communities across regional NSW will be left worse off."
The NSW Taxi Council claims more than 600 taxis have been forced off the road over the past two years because of CTP costs.
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