An Australian-owned company is taking on Uber in Queensland as ride-sharing becomes legal in the state.
GoCatch, which was founded in 2011, on Monday extended its phone app taxi-booking service to include ride-sharing as it was legalised in Queensland.
On Monday, taxi operators held protests in Brisbane against the move to legalise ridesharing in the state. On the same day, taxi operators shut down the Melbourne CBD in protest against the Victorian government’s eight-year compensation plan that involves $2 levy on all taxi and Uber trips.
Chief executive officer David Holmes says GoCatch, which uses an app similar in format to Uber's, has effectively been competing against an illegally operated business.
"We're a private Australian company with Australian investment," Mr Holmes told ABC radio.
"It's why we've taken so long - we were in Australia well before Uber arrived."
One of the biggest sore points for taxi drivers' unhappiness with Uber's encroachment on their turf has centred around tax.
GoCatch offers tax invoices and as a result has secured corporate support.
"It's very much around the Australian economy and Australian big businesses are helping us along the way," Mr Holmes said.
Mr Holmes said his company, which now offers a choice between booking a taxi or a ride-sharing vehicle, is not trying to disrupt the taxi industry.
"We're not trying to disrupt the taxi industry, we're just trying to help everyone be more efficient at what they do," Mr Holmes said.
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