CONTROVERSIAL Queensland Senator Pauline Hanson has vowed to "turn the light back on for the taxi industry" by taking on global driver-share service Uber.

Ms Hanson spoke to many affected taxi drivers at Suncoast Cabs in Marcoola.

And it was clear her passionate message struck a chord with those doing it tough in the industry.

John Clarke, who drives a taxi as a part-time job, suggested a $10,000 to $20,000 licence for Uber drivers would level the playing fields.

Ms Hanson said she had a "briefing from the industry" and "what is happening is unfair, unjust and needs to change".

She planned to run seats across Queensland at the next state election, including across the Sunshine Coast, to tackle the issue head on.

The only seat she doesn't plan to run a candidate in is Buderim as she said she thought sitting MP Steve Dickson was "well-respected right across the Sunshine Coast".

Ms Hanson said Uber was "taking over and destroying" the taxi industry.

"At the next election we will have seats in Queensland and will take your concerns to Parliament to get justice on your behalf," she said.

'You have paid an enormous price for licences you bought in good faith.

"Lots of people borrowed money against their home and took out mortgages, now the laws have changed and it's affecting the industry."

She said the public didn't understand choosing the cheaper Uber option could have repercussions.

"They don't realise there are issues here, one is safety," she said.

"You don't know the drivers, but you do in the taxi industry.

"The other is the cost of running a taxi. The registration for a taxi license is $6000, for an ordinary car it is just over $300.

"What has to happen here is either (the government) lower the costs of running a taxi or otherwise increases the cost of Uber.

"There has to be balance. The government is responsible for taxi licences, therefore the government has to be responsible for this."

Mr Clarke said he was lucky as he was only a part-time driver but knew of others doing it tough.

An Uber spokesman has explained how some of Pauline Hanson's assumptions about the popular driving-share program are wrong.

Ms Hanson said in a press conference at Suncoast Cabs that security was an issue when selecting an Uber driver because it didn't go through the same safeguards as the taxi industry.

But the spokesman said the 9,000 Queensland Uber partners, including around 500 on the Sunshine Coast have to have a Driver Authority from the Department of Transport and Main Roads and "every single car has been inspected by an accredited third-party".

"The Queensland Government has introduced sensible, safety-based reforms to open up choice for the travelling public and new income earning opportunities for everyday Queenslanders and we comply with the new framework," he said.

"We commend the government for backing the choice of the 600,000 Queenslanders who have embraced ridesharing as a safe, reliable and affordable way to get from A to B, including more than 30,000 locals on the Sunshine Coast."

A Driver Authority can only be issues to people who pass criminal background and driver history checks.
Safety was also built into every Uber trip.

Riders' were given information about their driver ahead of pick-up, all trips were tracked using GPS enabling riders to share their route with a loved one and feedback was acted on quickly from riders and drivers.