THE Gloucester maxi taxi service operated by Newcombe Coach Lines will cease.
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Kerry Cowan from Newcombe’s said it was disappointing and unfortunate, but the company could no longer justify the service.
“Number one it’s just not viable and number two (husband) Peter and I were the only ones driving,” she said.
Mrs Cowan said the service had struggled since it began operating in March last year.
Originally a 24-hour, seven-day a week service, the taxi has in recent times been forced to cut back its hours.
A commercial partnership with the DVA (Department of Veterans Affairs) also failed to bear significant fruit.
“If we could have gone more of that DVA work and also some additional work through the hospital it would have been different,” Mrs Cowan said.
“We just can’t compete with the courtesy buses the pubs and clubs operate. On some days we were taking home as little as $20.”
Mrs Cowan said the decision to cease the service had not been made lightly.
“We agonised over whether we were doing the right thing. Peter and I have had many discussions about it, particularly in regard to those people that did support the service,” she said.
There have been preliminary discussions between Newcombe’s and a possible buyer of the service but Mrs Cowan said for the interim there would be no taxi in Gloucester.