Taxi drivers in Port and South Hedland are threatening to go on strike again if more is not done to address youth crime in the towns.
Drivers returned to work on Monday after a seven-day strike but say they will walk off the job again in four weeks' time if their concerns are not tackled by authorities.
But a local charity says vulnerable people will struggle to attend urgent medical appointments and buy basic supplies because they often rely on taxis.
Ozi Taxis owner Kristi-Anne Spoljaric said the strike was triggered by several incidents of dangerous rock-throwing by groups of children and teenagers.
She said the vandalism had endangered drivers, damaged cars, and cost taxi companies thousands of dollars.
Ms Spoljaric said the local industry wanted Operation Regional Shield, which has seen a boost to police officers and assets deployed in the Kimberley, rolled out in the Pilbara to crack down on youth crime.
"We keep trying to pay for the windows and the kids have been breaking them, on just about on daily basis," Ms Spoljaric said.
Police Minister Paul Papalia did not directly answer a question put forward by the ABC about whether the state government planned to roll out Operation Regional Shield in Hedland, but said there were more police in the Pilbara than ever before.
Ms Spoljaric said the town's taxi companies met with government and police representatives to share their concerns.
A Department of Transport spokesperson said it was supporting Hedland's on-demand booking services with guidance to ensure their safety management systems adequately protected drivers and passengers.
Vulnerable locals miss out on essential transport
Port Hedland charity Bloodwood Tree works with vulnerable and at-risk Aboriginal people in the town.
Chief executive Kelly Howlett said many of their clients were affected by the strike because they relied on taxis for transport.
She said people were struggling to travel for everyday tasks like health appointments and food shopping.
"There's a really high proportion of people, particularly in South Hedland, who don't have access to a roadworthy vehicle, or don't have a licence," she said.
"We had a number of clients that couldn't go and access their banking, weren't able to go shopping.
She said service providers were not told about the strike before it happened, and responding to future action from taxi drivers would require planning from stakeholders across the community.
Youth crime a complex issue
South Hedland police officer-in-charge Senior Sergeant Gordon Armstrong said he met with local taxi companies and understood their concerns.
He said youth crime was a complex problem that could not be easily solved by police.
"These kids are young, and they are just kids," he said.
"Yes, we need to deal with them but, no, we don't need to be locking these kids up at that age."
Ms Howlett backed this and said addressing youth crime would require a "multi-faceted" approach from local leaders and authorities.
"This isn't something that's unique and special for Hedland. This is a challenge that we're all grappling with across the nation," she said.
Mr Papalia said the state government had provided additional funding to the WA Police Force to run targeted operations across regional WA.
"The state government is committed to continuing efforts to reduce youth offending through identifying at-risk youth early and engaging them in positive activities and preventing them from becoming involved in criminal behaviour in the first place," he said.
