Just Cruisin' told bureaucracy will now make him wait 3 years

The owner-driver of the well-known Just Cruisin' motorbike and trike tours along the Illawarra coast has been seen in Destination NSW and Wollongong advertisements, TV shows and more over 33 years of operating.

He particularly enjoys taking people with disabilities for a cruise as part of the National Disability Insurance Scheme - or just on his own.

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But when the NSW government introduced its "point to point" commissioner to regulate taxis and Uber drivers in 2017, tourism drivers like Just Cruisin' were included too.

It meant Mr Melchior had to pay a $560 annual fee - up from $70 previously - but it's more the principle than the money which has him ready to quit the industry.

The previous government said it had been reviewing the scheme, and when the Labor Government was elected this year, he was told he would have to wait until 2026 for a review.

As if that wasn't enough, he has now received a letter from Point to Point Commissioner Anthony Wing saying the review was now an extra year away.

"I've waited three and a half years to be told I have to wait another three and a half years," Mr Melchior said.

"I do note that the next review will be carried out in 2027, so this means all the promises from the previous government that a review was taking place were untrue.

"I am sure if there is a discrepancy in a law we should have a government that can act upon this instead of advising they will look at it in another 3.5 years."

Mr Melchior has tried enlisting the help of his local member, Heathcote MP Maryanne Stuart, but to no avail, as Mr Wing's letter last week showed.

"I am advised by Transport for NSW that a formal review of the Regulation is due by September 2027 and the level of authorisation fees may be considered as part of that process," the letter said.

"Transport for NSW has advised us that they will let you know when the review will commence and how you can be involved in the review."

While taxis and Ubers take people from Point A to Point B, for his customers both these points are the same - start at and return to Stanwell Tops.

Mr Melchior is not alone in thinking his inclusion in the Point to Point scheme was a mistake - Illawarra tourism leader Mark Sleigh has gone in to bat for a "central point of our visitor economy" over what he called bureaucracy gone mad.

Destination Wollongong general manager Mark Sleigh said he could not see why the problem isn't being fixed easily.

"Just Cruisin' has become a central point of our visitor economy, whether welcoming cruise ships, taking international agents on 'famils' or creating a bespoke leisure product for our visitors, Steve does it all," he said.

"He has worked tirelessly and free of charge for Destination Wollongong and Destination NSW over the past ten years.

"This appears to be an example of the bureaucracy gone mad which could be fixed with a stroke of the pen, allowing small businesses to get back to what they do best, welcome our guests to the city.

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