# Go Buggy: rideshare for regional Australia



## Jack Malarkey (Jan 11, 2016)

Go Buggy is an Uber-like service operating in regional New South Wales. It has plans to expand into regional Victoria and Queensland soon.

It's currently operating in Wagga Wagga, Port Macquarie and Newcastle/Central Coast, and is launching in Albury/Wodonga.

Fares vary from regional city to regional city.

The fares for Wagga Wagga are a booking fee of $3.95 plus $1.99 per kilometre plus waiting time of 69 cents a minute charged when the car is stopped or travelling at less than 26 kilometres per hour. The minimum fare is $10. There is no automatically charged fee per minute.

I cannot find any statement advising what percentage Go Buggy charges drivers as its service fee.

Go Buggy was founded by its director, Simon Robinson, who's a former Uber driver from Sydney.

Riders can book using an app or by phone. They have the option of paying via the app or with cash (although drivers are not obliged to accept cash). There is an Australia-based call centre that both riders and drivers can use.

Those who wish to have a Go Buggy franchise in their regional city can purchase one.

For more information about Go Buggy, see https://gobuggy.com.au/.


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## Jack Malarkey (Jan 11, 2016)

I sent an email to Go Buggy earlier today to enquire about the service fee that drivers pay.

An automated acknowledgment promised a substantive reply within 48 hours. In fact, I received a personal reply from none other than Simon Robinson, founder and director, within what was more like 4.8 minutes. Now, that's what I call impressive!

The reply was as follows:

Hi Jack,

In all areas it is a flat $2.99 per completed journey.

The driver keeps the booking fee and any other rates applicable to the journey minus the government levy.

Regards,
Simon

*Simon Robinson*
Director
Go Buggy Australia Pty Ltd


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## Who is John Galt? (Sep 28, 2016)

.
Whoaaa!

.


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## Teri12 (Jul 20, 2016)

Green Acres is the place to be! (Not Greenacre)
Farm Living is life for me...
Land, stretchin' out so far and wide
Keep Artarmon, just give me that country-side.....


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## acme (Dec 7, 2016)

Jack Malarkey said:


> Those who wish to have a Go Buggy franchise in their regional city can purchase one.


Looks like a licence to lose money.


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

Jack Malarkey said:


> I sent an email to Go Buggy earlier today to enquire about the service fee that drivers pay.
> 
> An automated acknowledgment promised a substantive reply within 48 hours. In fact, I received a personal reply from none other than Simon Robinson, founder and director, within what was more like 4.8 minutes. Now, that's what I call impressive!
> 
> ...


Wow! Have I missed something here. Go Buggy takes a "Flat $2.99 per completed job.

They charge decent rates, but the jobs will need to be more than a few kms long to allow drivers to make a return.

Methinks there will be a lot of cherry picking.


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## Jack Malarkey (Jan 11, 2016)

Sydney Uber said:


> Wow! Have I missed something here. Go Buggy takes a "Flat $2.99 per completed job.
> 
> They charge decent rates, but the jobs will need to be more than a few kms long to allow drivers to make a return.
> 
> Methinks there will be a lot of cherry picking.


The fact that the driver gets to keep all of the $3.95 booking fee would help alleviate the impact of the flat $2.99 service fee on shorter trips.


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## Ivan B (Feb 13, 2018)

Jack Malarkey said:


> Go Buggy is an Uber-like service operating in regional New South Wales. It has plans to expand into regional Victoria and Queensland soon.
> 
> It's currently operating in Wagga Wagga, Port Macquarie and Newcastle/Central Coast, and is launching in Albury/Wodonga.
> 
> ...


Minimum fare $10.00, less gst, $0.90 less commission, $2.99, less $1.00 levy, less say 3 km ctp $0.60 leaves you with a minimum of $4.50 per fare, a bit less than Uber.
So a $20 fare would leave you app $13, a bit more than Uber?
Now, where is Wagga Wagga?


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