Driving up costs: Taxi industry feels the fuel pinch

“Fuel is the biggest operating cost for us,” he said.

“Every fuel tank is now costing us an extra $20 or more.”

Mr Saini said full-time taxi drivers operating regular vehicles had to fill up roughly twice a week.

“A tank would cost over $120 these days,” he said.

For Mr Saini and his team, reducing the amount they drive is not a realistic way to cut costs.

“For us, taxis are our living,” Mr Saini said.

“We can’t cut your kilometres just to save fuel.

“We’re doing 10- to 12-hour days. That means starting at 5am and finishing at 5pm.”

GV Cabs Shepparton director and operator Lucky Gill said the long hours they were putting in due to fuel costs had a knock-on effect on their lives.

“It does affect you when you don’t have much time for the kids and the family,” Mr Gill said.

“But what can you do? You have to put in extra hours to get some sort of money.”

Despite the increased pressure, Mr Saini said GV Cabs was reluctant to pass the additional cost on to passengers.

“We haven’t increased any fares since the fuel prices have gone up,” he said.

“We would love to keep it as it is for the time being, but I don’t know how long we can sustain this.”

Both Mr Saini and Mr Gill said action was needed to help taxi drivers manage the cost of fuel.

Mr Saini said authorities temporarily waiving the taxi “levy could help us with the fuel cost rather than us putting that pressure on the public”.

The levy in Victoria is a $1.25 charge on every taxi, hire-car and ride-share trip taken in the state.

GV Cabs is also looking at electric vehicles as a way to reduce fuel cost pressures.

“EV is again an out-of-pocket expense,” Mr Saini said.

“At this stage EV looks like a solution, but who knows what the future will bring.”