A GROUP REPRESENTING taxi drivers has called for them to join a march and drive on 3 December to protest the proposed fare review.
The protest organised by Tiomanai Tacsai na hEireann (TTnH) will coincide with the review of the submission on taxi fares.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Chairperson of TTnH David McGuinness said a recent survey of its 1800 members showed the majority of taxi drivers are against any change to the fare structure.
“They feel that they’re being ignored by the government as they have been in the past on this issue,” he said.
“This review failed to address a lot of the substantial issues faced by drivers in the industry and it will likely result in increased costs for them.”
“It will have a seriously negative effect on our business,” he said. “Fares have already gotten shorter and you only get about half a busy night a week now.”
Taxi ranks
McGuiness said a serious concern for drivers was the proposal to get rid of 57 prime taxi ranks in Dublin’s city centre including the busy O’Connell Street rank.
“Waiting times on ranks are already increasing and this would have a devastating effect for drivers,” he said.
He said the upcoming budget was also a cause for worry for drivers as any further austerity measures will impact on taxi business.
“If people have less disposable income, the first thing to go is the small luxuries like taxi rides,” he said.
The protest will begin at the Garden of Remembrance on 3 December at 10.30am and finish at the Department of Transport where representatives will submit a petition for the fare structure to be left the way it is.
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