Hours-long delays for taxis and late buses are leaving Townsville residents without a car at a disadvantage, which is so bad that one workplace has resorted to driving staff to and from shifts.
Employers, such as Miriam Owato, the head of a Townsville Disability Support Service, have been forced to transport staff to and from work.
Rural residents are able to access sixteen urban routes, but they are cash-only and don't always run on time.
It's a problem for workers and for hundreds of students at James Cook University's Townsville campus, many of whom are from abroad.
''T show up, or it comes earlier,'' said Canadian student Tory Pritchard.
Ellie Lindow, a student who moved to Townsville from Minnesota this year, said: ''It's a good thing to move from Minnesota to Townsville,'' she said.
She said that she had waited for a bus for 20 minutes.
Since starting in June, Translink has received 20 complaints about late-and early-running bus services.
Townsville's taxi fleet is also grappling with a shortage of drivers.
Wayne Amisano relies on wheelchair-accessible taxis for his weekly groceries shopping.
The 58-year-old, who has paraplegia, is able to get out of the house and enjoy a barista-made coffee with his support worker.
But he often endures a long wait for a ride home in a taxi that is wheelchair accessible.
He said taxi providers were not providing accessible vehicles recently, after his groceries were spoiled in the heat of the North Queensland heat.
He added: 'I got to be careful with the amount of time you are waiting.
Townsville Taxis chairman Darren Morse said it was a challenge to attract staff to the industry and many were not prepared to drive wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
There are 106 taxis in Townsville, but only 17 of them are wheelchair accessible and many of these vehicles are not on the roads.
The taxi shortage is evident in the airport, where passengers who cannot take the shuttle bus between 6:00am and 8:00pm for long periods are queued for long periods.
Peter Cox, a resident of Townsville, said relying on a taxi had left him'stranded' in the past.
He said he got to call family or friends.
The Regional Australia Institute data shows that between 2016 and 2021, there were 27,000 people moved to Townsville, and it has continued to experience strong post-pandemic growth.
And with more than 500 defence personnel to be moved to the city over the next five years, the pressure on resources will only mount.
Regional areas in Australia are experiencing increasing public dissatisfaction with public transport.
Regional commuters rated their satisfaction with public transportation at 2.9 out of 7 in a RAI report released in September.
Regions of Australia must have quality access to public transport, Ritchie said, to link them to employment, services, amenities and social networks within their community and neighbouring regions.
It enhances what we call the 'liveability of an area', something that makes our regional communities a better place to live.