Taxi services have effectively disappeared across much of Western NSW, with confirmation that - apart from Condobolin - there are now no taxis operating west of Dubbo.

Narromine Shire Council Mayor Ewen Jones revealed the extent of the transport vacuum recently.

Initially, he took his concerns about the high costs of operating a taxi service in the regions to his local council who voted to write to the government with their concerns.

Councillor Jones also brought the issue to last week’s Alliance of Western Council’s meeting where fellow members shared his frustrations.

“Cobar Mayor Jarrod Marsden confirmed that there is no longer a taxi service in Cobar,” Cr Jones said.

“This means that apart from Condobolin, there is no longer any taxis left operating west of Dubbo.”

The Alliance of Western Councils voted on Friday 27 February in Warren to support Cr Jones’ motion to write to the NSW Government and lobby for a reduction in the costs of registration and insurance to operate a taxi in Western and Far West NSW.

“My motion was seconded by Dubbo Regional Council Mayor Josh Black."

"The vote was unanimous,” Cr Jones said.

During debate, the wording of the motion was amended to replace the term “regional” with “Western”, reflecting what mayors described as the specific impact being felt across far western communities.

The larger scale regional backing marks a significant escalation of an issue first raised at Narromine Shire Council earlier this month, where Cr Jones argued that high compliance costs were making it financially unviable for small towns to sustain taxi services.

There's plenty of space across the Western Plains, but only limited ways to get around - Condobolin Taxi Service is the only taxi service still operating west of Dubbo (Image: Condobolin Taxi Services)

“A regional taxi operator is up for about $14K to register and insure a taxi,” he said at the time.

“This makes it unviable to operate in smaller regions.”

Narromine itself has been without a taxi since its most recent operator, linked to a local club, handed in its plates.

At one stage the club operated two taxis before converting one into a courtesy vehicle.

Eventually, the remaining taxi ceased operating altogether.

The current taxi regulations are making it harder for regional areas, according to Cr Jones.

He has questioned whether reforms introduced when rideshare services entered the market have left traditional taxi operators at a disadvantage.

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

“We need to look into getting taxis on a level playing field with Uber, for example,

With the Alliance of Western Councils now formally backing the proposal, the campaign will move to the next stage.

“I will also be taking my motion to the next Country Mayors Association meeting in Sydney on 26 and 27 March, which is held in the NSW Parliament House,” Cr Jones said.

The unanimous regional support signals growing concern that essential transport services are disappearing across Western NSW, leaving communities increasingly isolated and without reliable alternatives.