Finding staff has been an issue for local businesses since COVID-19 raised its ugly head back in 2020. It was exacerbated by the 2022 flood and has not improved.

For some business owners, finding staff, let alone good-quality, reliable staff, is a challenge.

In the last two weeks, the Lismore App has received emails about the wait times to get a taxi in Lismore. One reader said she waited over two hours for a pre-booked taxi on a Saturday night recently.

A meeting with the owners of Lismore Taxis (a co-op, so a member-owned business) this week revealed a shortage of drivers has led to a drop in service, which does not sit well with their beliefs.

Justin Stevenson is the Chairman of Lismore Taxis, said they simply do not have enough taxi drivers.

"We just don't have enough drivers to enable us to put all our vehicles on the road at all times. We have the largest fleet in the district, and we'd like to make sure that our fleet is on the road, fully stocked with drivers all the time. We don't want people waiting in our community; waiting in the dark or waiting in the cold. That is not what we want. We want to improve our service standard, but we need drivers to do that."

It is not just one or two drivers that Lismore Taxis are short; they are looking for eight (8) drivers.

"We're looking for both Night and Day drivers," Justin said, "There are vacancies pretty much all the time in our cooperative due to the nature of the work. There's flexibility there. We have drivers that want to do it full-time, and we have drivers that only want to do work two and three shifts a week.

"We would love to attract drivers that possibly only want to work Friday and Saturday nights, so we can fulfil that peak demand during those peak times. The flexibility in the job would enable them to do that.

"A person can pick and choose pretty much when they want to do their shifts. There are 24 cars in the fleet, and they can drive for any car they like. So, if they want to drive more, they can just pick up shifts in other cars. Or if they're happy to drive for one owner or the cooperative itself, then they can do that as well."

Currently, all owners/drivers are working double shifts to cover the shortage; however, that still means they fall short of their service goals.

"Many of us are doing double shifts. If they don't do double shifts, then we can't put our cars on the road. So, that's where the service standard starts to slip. Occupational Health and Safety, all that sort of stuff, plays a role in that fatigue management for our owners. We can't do 16-hour days or 18-hour days; it's just not safe.

"Even if we do a double shift, we still have to do one shift; fatigue manage, so have a break, a shower, a meal, then go back to work after that."

To be eligible to drive a taxi, you must have an unrestricted drivers licence, so you cannot be on your P-plates. You cannot have a criminal record and must have a safe driving history.

"We would like people to get accredited for their work with children check so they're able to help us do our school runs during the day. First aid courses are mandatory for our drivers now, and that's just to bring us in line with government recommendations on contract work and stuff."

Justin encourages women to apply to be a driver as well.

"There may be women in our community that would prefer a female driver. We've had female drivers in the past, and they've been exceptional. We've just recruited three new drivers, and all three seem to enjoy it. One of those is working a lot of shifts, and another lady is just doing a couple of shifts to supplement her income. Picking them up from their homes, taking them where they need to go, pick them up on the ranks, getting their shopping home, Friday and Saturday night, getting them home safely from the rubberty dub.

Grace has been driving for Lismore Taxis for nine months. Although she is not from Lismore, she has found the job intriguing and useful because it has allowed her to get to know the Lismore LGA and be part of the community. Grace started driving night shifts but is now driving WAT vehicles (Wheelchair Accessible Taxi).

"I think for me, driving a WATs vehicle has really changed my outlook on being a cab driver, because I do get to give back to my community. I get to build a rapport with certain people because I see them daily, and they need us as much as we need them. So, that part becomes really rewarding, especially when they are not so verbal, and they start to learn your name and say, Good morning. It's just the little things in life that we take for granted that I get to experience as a driver."

Lismore Taxis has just purchased a new WAT vehicle, so they have four in their fleet and are looking to purchase another in 2025. They are not cheap at $120,000 for the car and a mechanical fit-out for the lift.

Justin stressed that driving a taxi can earn people good money and there is security in each car.

"When potential drivers contact Janelle or Angie in the office on 6621 2619 and pick up a Driver Package. It'll take perhaps a week to get your paperwork done, book yourself in for a first aid course, and then we do the training on the job.

"So, we use electronic dispatch, there's GPS regulated, we've got EFTPOS machines in all our cars. We've got duress alarms for driver safety and cameras in the car for safety. Safety is a big thing for us. Looking after our customers is a big thing for us and service in our communities. It's how we make our money, too. The better service we provide, it's a win/win. The community get good service, and we earn a decent dollar. And there's a good balance in that for us and for the people of Lismore too.

Justin and the rest of the owners want to see the driver shortage problem solved as soon as possible as they head into the busiest time of year, Christmas. It is work as usual, plus the increased load of Christmas partygoers, all looking to unwind at the end of the year.

"We want to maintain a good service for our community, and the only way we can do that is by having as many cars as we possibly can on the road, 24 hours a day."

Call (02) 6621 2619 and organise to pick up your Driver Package.

Leaving on a good note, one of our complainants provided a positive experience, "The total opposite happened last Friday - we booked a cab for "immediate pick up" from town (to home) at about 9pm and it came immediately." Service is looking up.