Adelaide suburbs that taxis avoid /by Miles Kemp
21/10/2013
Published in The Adelaide Advertiser, page 2
RESIDENTS of Adelaide suburbs avoided by taxis are paying cabbies incentives of up to $15 to encourage them to take their fare.
In its annual snapshot of taxi-booking statistics, app-based booking service goCatch has revealed dozens of Adelaide suburbs where cab companies struggle to fill bookings.
Adelaide co-founder of goCatch Ned Moorfield said that of all Adelaide suburbs, the furthest from the CBD were the hardest to service.
“Passengers are increasingly incentivising drivers by offering them tips, and now it is about 5-10 per cent of drivers depending on demand, with the highest on Saturday nights,” he said.
“We can do that in five-dollar increments, so they start at $5 and go up to $10 and $15.”
But there were high strikeout rates in many suburbs closer to the CBD, such as Collinswood, where only 20 per cent of customers could find a driver after the call went out, Beulah Park (27 per cent), Mitcham (28 per cent), Kings Park (29 per cent), West Lakes and St Morris (30 per cent), Gilberton and Brighton (31 per cent), Burnside, Magill and Mile End (33 per cent).
TELL US: Have you had problems getting a taxi?
More: Check the results from last year
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/adelaide-taxi-drivers-shun-fringe-suburbs/story-e6frea83-1226545446889
Stirling is the most difficult location in and around Adelaide in which to catch a taxi.
Stirling Hotel worker Gemma Frazer said drivers often did not turn up and one customer had waited three hours.
“It regularly takes about 40 minutes if they are going to come,” she said.
Mr Moorfield said goCatch had increased the number of drivers who use its service in Adelaide from 700 to 1200 in the last year.
“We have about one-third of the drivers working in Adelaide, so the trends we have would reflect pretty well what is happening against the whole industry in trying to get as taxi to people,” he said.
“In the outlying suburbs, it is not too unusual to find our percentages are a bit higher because we are building up our driver numbers but especially in the closer suburbs the figures reflect the supply of taxis in the city.”
Taxi Council SA president Jim Triantafyllou recommended against using the app.
“I can’t make any comment on the statistics of a private company other than to say it is not a centralised booking service that is registered with the Transport Department,” he said.
“People should only use taxis that are booked through this centralised system.”
The figures for each suburb represent people who wait for five minutes for a driver, and after the initial wait either give up or keep trying again unsuccessfully.
GoCatch sends smartphone messages to the customer after five minutes if no driver has taken the job.
The Transport Department would not comment on the figures or tell The Advertiser what is was doing to open more taxi licences for use on in Adelaideroads.
Dignity for Disability MLC Kelly Vincent said she was constantly trying to get better and more reliable taxi services for access cab customers.
“Getting access cabs to turn up is difficult enough, but as you move into the outer suburbs of Adelaide, this becomes more of a challenge,” she said.
TEN WORST SUBURBS
1. Stirling – 95% fail rate
2. Salisbury Downs – 95%
3. Christie Downs – 94%
4. Brahma Lodge – 94%
5. Burton – 94%
6. Hallett Cove – 93%
7. Darlington – 93%
8. Huntfield Heights – 93%
9. Seaford – 93%
10. Paralowie – 92%
Percentage of requests not picked up within five minutes
TEN BEST SUBURBS
1. North Plympton
2. Kensington Park
3. West Hindmarsh
4. Kensington
5. Mansfield Park
6. Medindie Gardens
7. Cowandilla
8. Kilburn
9. Joslin
10. Nailsworth
Source: goCatch.
