Taxi technology company Ingogo is signing up former Manly Cabs drivers to its first Sydney fleet, after administrators confirmed the 73-year-old co-operative had ceased operations on Friday, 13 March 2026.
The company, also known as Manly Warringah Cabs, who was founded in 1953 as a small co-operative with a focus on community, had been serving the Northern Beaches for almost 75 years.
The end came after most Manly Cabs, members voted against a restructure proposal that would have required selling the co-op’s Cromer property, a decision that effectively sealed the business’s fate. Around 40 taxi operators lost their livelihoods as a result.
CRS Insolvency Services Australia, appointed administrator by the Department of Fair Trading, had found the co-op in significant financial distress. “We came up with a strategy that if they sold the company’s property in Cromer, there could be a financial avenue for the business to continue,” said CRS Principal Trevor Pogroske. The proposal needed 75 per cent member approval. It didn’t get it.
“It’s a great tragedy that a 73-year business has come to an end,” Pogroske said.
Following the vote, CRS notified operators that the co-op had surrendered its authorisation with the NSW Point-to-Point transport regulator and could no longer legally operate. All drivers were required to immediately take their cars off the road.
Ingogo founder Lee Furlong, who previously managed Manly Cabs and was former chair of the NSW Taxi Council, was in Brookvale from early this morning signing up former operators to the new fleet.
Ingogo will also take on any pre-bookings or permanent bookings held with Manly Cabs to ensure the Northern Beaches community still has access to a local taxi service.
“I live on the Northern Beaches, I know the community, I know how important continuity of service is for the most vulnerable: the elderly who can no longer drive, those with a disability, those who need to get to medical appointments,” Furlong said.
Passengers with existing Manly Cabs bookings are urged to call Ingogo on 5120 2095
In 2016, The Manly Daily reported the fleet was 200 strong. However, by 2021, the cab company reported having as low as 45 cabs on the road following COVID-19 restrictions and major changes in transport ride-share. Manly Observer understands there were around 40 taxi operators who lost their jobs as part of the shutdown.
“It’s really sad news,” Nick Abrahim, CEO of NSW Taxi Council, told Manly Observer.
“We saw something similar with RSL Cabs, who also had a rich heritage and was ultimately shut down. It also had a similar structure, where as a co-op you have people involved in the business decision making process who aren’t involved in the ground operations.
“It’s a timely reminder that if these types of businesses aren’t supported with expertise and tools and options to evolve, then we’re going to see more of this in the future.”
The combination of ride-share legalisation, COVID-19, and rapid technological change took a heavy toll
How did we get here?
Founded in 1953, Manly Cabs once ran a fleet of 200 vehicles. But the combination of ride-share legalisation, COVID-19, and rapid technological change took a heavy toll, and by 2021 just 45 cabs remained on the road.
Internal disputes compounded the problems. Two factions of members clashed in the Supreme Court, raising allegations of poor management, governance failures, and procedural irregularities. In October 2025, the Court appointed CRS to replace the board and assess the co-op’s viability.
Nick Abrahim, CEO of the NSW Taxi Council, said the collapse was a warning for the broader industry. “If these types of businesses aren’t supported with expertise and tools and options to evolve, then we’re going to see more of this in the future,” he said, drawing a comparison to the earlier closure of RSL Cabs.
One of Sydney’s oldest cab companies
Manly Cabs was founded in 1953 as a small co-operative with a focus on community.
The following year, the co-op began a tradition where taxi drivers for Manly Cabs volunteered to take Northern Beaches veterans to the city’s Anzac Day Parade.
The service started when taxi owners, some who were returned WW2 servicemen themselves, wanted to drive their friends who were disabled to the parade.
