A lack of taxi services in Narromine has prompted Narromine Mayor Ewen Jones to lobby the NSW Government to reduce the cost of registration and insurance for regional operators, warning the situation is creating road safety risks and leaving vulnerable residents without transport.

Cr Jones recently moved a Notice of Motion at a Narromine Shire Council meeting, calling on the State Government to address the high cost of operating a taxi in regional NSW.

At the meeting, the motion was carried eight votes to one.

“As a result, Narromine Shire Council has written a letter to the Minister for Regional Transport Ms Jenny Aitchison MP, asking her to consider our request of a fee reduction,” Cr Jones said.

Cr Jones has also put the issue before the Alliance of Western Councils, a group of 13 councils, ahead of its meeting in Warren this Friday, in a bid to escalate the matter through regional advocacy channels.

“I’m hoping they support my idea and write to Jenny again, from the Alliance, and then we’ll take it up to the Country Mayors level,” he said.

“We’ll just keep pumping it up the food chain until we can hopefully get a bit of a reaction out of the government because it is killing the taxis.”

Narromine no longer has a taxi service operating, a situation Cr Jones said mirrors nearby Wellington.

He said it all comes down to costs.

“A regional taxi operator is up for about $14K, to register and insure a taxi.

"This makes it unviable to operate in smaller regions,” he said.

Cr Jones explained Narromine has had taxi services in the past, with services operating in the 1980s and 2000s.

The most recent operator was linked to a local club, which at one stage had two taxis.

“They took one off the road and made it a courtesy vehicle for their club, which makes sense," Cr Jones said.

"That left one as a taxi, but it didn't always operate due to breakdowns and was often off the road for up to a month,” he said.

Eventually the plates were handed in as it wasn't viable to keep the taxi running.

Cr Jones said the absence of taxis has broader consequences.

Narromine Mayor Ewen Jones is pushing the need for taxis to be more viable in regional NSW.

"It is really a road safety issue, and I hope the NSW Government considers my suggestions,” he said.

He said he had been told by a television news reporter there had been a spike in drink-driving charges in Narromine.

“Of course, everybody knows they shouldn’t drink and drive, that’s a poor choice to make, but there’s not a lot of Plan Bs out there,” he said.

“We need to avoid people taking that risk."

Community transport options are limited.

Volunteer drivers assist with trips to Dubbo for medical appointments, and the club courtesy vehicle operates only to and from its venue.

“These community drivers don’t work overnight and the club courtesy vehicle only is for to and from that venue, which is fair enough,” Cr Jones said.

He believes part of the problem stems from regulatory settings that changed when rideshare services entered the market.

“I think the government basically deregulated taxis as such, through the back door when they let Uber in.

"They certainly compensated all the taxi plate holders at that time,” he said.

"We need to look into getting taxis on a level playing field with Uber, for example, because they just pay normal car registration.”

Without change, Cr Jones fears regional towns will continue to lose essential transport services.

“No taxi also leaves a gap for the elderly, or anyone who doesn’t own a car to be able to get around,” he said.

For now, Narromine Shire Council will continue pressing the issue at regional and state levels, hoping to restore a service Cr Jones says is vital for safety and community access.