The use of Uber and other rideshare services in the Illawarra may have peaked, according to a study by the pricing regulator.
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Since 2012 the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal has been annually surveying the point-to-point transport industry in Sydney and other urban areas.
The survey includes Wollongong in the "other urban" category along with Newcastle, Gosford and Wyong.
The latest survey, released this week, found that 29 per cent of the 522 people interviewed had used a rideshare service in the last six months.
This was up just 1 per cent on the previous year.
"After a period of consistent growth, numerous indicators in the 2019 survey suggest a slowing or flattening of rideshare growth in the last 12 months," the survey stated.
"Interestingly, this is at a level of equivalency with taxis in some cases, and this may be reflective of a natural balance point that is being reached."
Over the same period, taxi use in the last six months dropped 2 per cent from 37 to 35 per cent.
The tribunal survey said the figures did not suggest that rideshare use will diminish but that "the period of constant growth may be coming to an end".
The news will be a relief for the Illawarra's taxi drivers, who have complained about rideshare providers taking away their customers.
In terms of complaints, the survey found taxis were the source of more problems for users than rideshare but the gap has narrowed.
"While problems experienced with rideshare remain equal to or lower than taxis, the gap is much lower in 2019," the survey stated.
In the urban areas outside Sydney, 49 per cent reported having no problems with taxis as opposed to 55 per cent of rideshare users.
The biggest complaint for taxis was the difficulty of getting one at major events (23 per cent of complaints), while most rideshare customer complaints related to a general inability to get a ride when needed (17 per cent).
The overall satisfaction levels for taxis in Wollongong and other areas was higher than for rideshare - 58 per cent compared to 45 per cent for rideshare.
However, taxis also had a higher dissatisfaction rating, at 8 per cent compared to 4 per cent for taxis.
Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
