Busselton man Darren McAullay stoked to be first Hi-Oscar driver for South West

The new ride-sharing app, Hi-Oscar, was co-founded and launched in January by Perth entrepreneurs Daniel Broughton and Jeremy Webb who found a niche in the South West market.  

Driving trucks and working in the transport industry for nearly 20 years, Mr McAullay said he looks forward to the social element of the job and providing the crucial service to the region.

“I think there is huge potential for a service like Hi-Oscar in our region,” he said.

“It’s cheap, the fares are competitive and I’ve never had anything against using taxis but I’ve been out at night and haven’t been able to get a taxi.

“What I love about this job, it’s about greeting people with a nice “Hello” and a big smile.

“I’ll also provide water for a nice personal touch because it’s the little things that go a long way.”  

Mr McAullay said the response to his Facebook post announcing he was the first Hi-Oscar driver for Busselton on Monday was amazing but urged the public to be patient as more drivers signed up. 

“More than 70 people downloaded the Hi-Oscar app from Busselton on Monday afternoon alone,” he exclaimed. 

“At the moment we’ve got about five or six guys still in the process of coming on-board so we’re urging the public to please be patient.” 

Mr McAullay said co-founders of Hi-Oscar Daniel Broughton and Jeremy Webb were in conversation with Telstra about combating black spots across the region. 

Mr McAullay said to get the job, he had to provide police clearance, a F-class license, a good driving record, his car had to be road worthy and fully inspected by the Department of Transport.

He said his six-seater vehicle is also fully insured under the Omnibus Charter Vehicle category. 

“People need choice and I think it’s just fantastic that finally someone has taken the initiative to bring a service like this to the South West.” 

For more details about the ride-sharing service or to apply to be a driver, visit hi-oscar.com.au