Liberal MLC Natasha Maclaren-Jones raised the closure of Southern Highlands Taxis in the Legislative Council on Thursday 12 November 2026. The Southern Wire reported that she asked why the government had not acted on the 2025 review of compulsory third party insurance. She said the firm had been forced to pull its cabs off the road, that more than 50 people were out of work, and that operators across the state were paying "exorbitant" CTP costs, with more services likely to close.
Transport Minister John Graham acknowledged that insurance costs are hurting regional taxi companies. He described the issue as complex and compounded by fuel costs. The government has been working with the NSW Taxi Council on CTP, and has brought in measures for operators facing fuel cost shocks, including an A$2.3 million point-to-point industry relief package announced in August. Minister for Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison shares those concerns. He congratulated the council for "stepping up".
The committee's recommendation
The question was about the Standing Committee on Law and Justice 2025 review of the CTP scheme, tabled on 23 April 2026. Recommendation 1 asks the State Insurance Regulatory Authority to finalise guideline changes within six months of that date, grouping taxis and rideshare operators in a single CTP class. SIRA is to look at Queensland and Victoria, where all point-to-point providers sit in one class. Those six months ended on 23 October 2026.
In the chair's foreword, Greg Donnelly wrote that taxis and rideshare vehicles are essentially doing the same job but pay very different premiums. Taxis are charged on every kilometre. A rideshare vehicle pays a private-car premium, and an extra charge only while it is carrying a passenger.
"This disparity has been in place for over 10 years; it is time it is solved."
The committee found an ongoing decline in taxi numbers on New South Wales roads, linked to the legalisation of rideshare, with access already reduced in rural and regional areas, including wheelchair accessible taxis.
The report records the NSW Taxi Council's figures of about A$5,200 for an urban taxi, about A$4,000 for a country taxi, and A$400 to A$700 for a rideshare operator. SIRA's averages, given to the committee, were A$4,913 for a metropolitan taxi and A$3,762 for a country taxi. The extra rideshare charge is 10 cents a kilometre in metropolitan areas and 6.6 cents where the trip starts in a country region. Kilometres driven to collect the passenger are not included.