27 November 2009 - Chairman's Annual Report  2008-09

The 2008/09 financial year has seen 131-008 call volumes level off for the first time since the company’s inception. There was a 1.11% decrease in successful calls compared to the 2007/08 year. The decrease, which began in February 2009, is across the board with the vast majority of our member taxi services, large and small, showing a reduction in call volumes in the months since February 2009 compared to the same months in the previous year. The company attributes the decrease in call volumes to the reduction in taxi use in Australia following the recent downturn in the Australian economy. The company expects that the 131008 call volumes will strengthen as confidence in the Australian economy returns.

The 131008 call data highlights the continued increase in calls to 131008 from mobile phones compared to calls from landlines. For the first time in a financial year, mobile originated calls to 131008 account for just over 50% of all calls nationally. This trend looks like it will continue over the next few years at a rate of about 3 to 4 percent per year. Taxi bookings from mobile phones are difficult for taxi call centers to automate, resulting in resourcing and capacity issues in call centers and increased waiting times for callers. This trend has prompted the company to investigate the introduction of a national SMS taxi booking service, which it plans to deliver to all 131008 taxi services at no cost. Trials of the 131008 SMS taxi booking service will begin in early 2010. With positive results from that trial, the system should be available to all taxi services in the second or third quarter of 2010.

The company continues to maintain its policy of generating low profits. New and more beneficial arrangements with Telstra have enabled the company to introduce a Call Rebate Scheme, which will return approximately $250,000.00 of the company’s revenue to 131008 taxi services in May 2010. The net profit for the company last financial year was $47,611.00. The higher than expected profit was primarily due to a significant reduction in operating, administration and telecommunications costs.

The last financial year saw the company’s share register expand to include taxi services in Berri, Renmark, Barmera and Loxton in the Riverland area of South Australia. The share register remains open, and the company continues to encourage new entrants, primarily as a means of securing exclusive long-term access to the 131008 service in their taxi district.

Thank you to my co-directors for their support with a special thanks to the Executive Officer, Paul Mifsud. I also thank all services for their support in the last year and look forward to the continuing loyalty to our number from all shareholders.

Garrie Woolford

Chairman

27 November 2009

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