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TDS AND SENATORS today heard from a campaign group calling on the government to do more to increase taxi supply.
The Taxis for Ireland Coalition visited Leinster House today to urge politicians to take steps to improve the situation and address the shortage of drivers across the country.
The Coalition is made up of Uber, Bolt, the Restaurants Association of Ireland, Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC), the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland and the Licensed Vintners Association.
Fine Gael Senator Tim Lombard, who organised the visit, said the shortage is particularly acute in rural Ireland.
“Whether you’re out in Kinsale, Castletownbere or any town in Ireland, chances are you won’t be able to get a taxi home on a weekend night,” Lombard said.
The group is calling on the Government to change existing regulations, some of which they say act as a barrier to young people entering the taxi industry.
Aisling Dunne, head of public policy for Bolt in Ireland told The Journal that the average age of a taxi driver in Ireland is over 50.
“We really need to see how we can get younger people involved in the industry. People who might be able to work those later hours, which at the moment we just don’t have the supply to do,” Dunne said.
Dunne said there is a huge amount of unmet demand for taxis in Ireland, with people logging into apps unable to get taxis.
“This is particularly acute at the weekend,” she said.
Changes
In particular, the group highlighted the burdensome local knowledge test that taxi drivers currently need to sit.
Dunne made the point that the test was designed for a time before smart phones and cars had GPS and digital maps.
The group recommends revising the test, which currently has a first time pass rate of just 34%.
“That’s a fairly startling statistic and it acts as a barrier to entry with people deciding to try a different profession,” Dunne said.
The group also made the point that current regulations state that all Small Public Service Vehicles (SPSV) must be wheelchair accessible. They say this makes it extremely expensive for new entrants to become taxi drivers and means that drivers need to work long hours to justify the cost.
The group say there should be some flexibility on this so that supply can be improved at peak times and made the point that what is really needed are taxi drivers who are happy to work ad hoc hours, which this regulation does not encourage.
“Regulations need to reflect the times we live in,” Senator Lombard said.
“There are a number of people living in rural towns and villages in particular who would welcome the opportunity to operate a taxi service, if only just for weekend work or off peak times.”
Take your time Leo sure there’s no rush
I’d love a drink a chat, with a few of my friends. I’am not lonely or anything, just a few pints and a laugh with friends.
Course it will need to be reviewed, the backlash over this has been huge and even the FFG back benches realise, they will find it very hard to get re-elected if they basically go along with the same restrictions and rules as last summer when we didn’t have vaccines and nothing bar a 9 euro meal has changed, meanwhile people will head north or out of the country soon as the digital green cert is in place. Hard to convince people who own or work in hospitality, aviation or the entertainment industry to vote for your party that basically has thrown you under the bus for over a year and still is keeping ya there even with vaccines
Meanwhile nearly all open in NI, walking around masks are extremely lax in shops, a lot of people not wearing in stores and nobody seems to care! Feels nearly like 2019!
@kevinhunt101: they are also a few months ahead of us on vaccinations having opened the 18+. We are still at 44+. Give it time.
@Paul Clancy: Give it time???…they are trying to extend the covid powers till November, they are talking about extending PUP till September and the fact they are flip flopping round reopening aviation and hospitality fully, even when we reach the same time line as Northern Ireland did, tells me things won’t be anywhere near the same. Too many need to realise, its not just a virus we now have to worry about, but also the health of the countries finances, cos another recession is the last place we need to go since we haven’t even paid off the previous one yet.
Musicians and other performers should give themselves two rules
a) creating underground spaces for art
b) stop performing whenever a member of the current government is present… even after the pandemic
There is 0 scientific reason behind outlawing live music for more than a year. Maybe you can gaslight people with indoor reasons but there’s no reason why music can’t be played in an outside setting…
So if you’re sitting a a restaurant eating you can’t be there for more than 105 minutes because you could become a close contact. But if you are sitting in a restaurant attached to a hotel you are staying in that risk doesn’t exist? How on earth does that make sense?!
@Melissa OHara: It doesn’t but none of this government’s decisions have made any sense. Their appalling ineptitude keeps rolling on.
@Melissa OHara: it almost makes one hate hotels
Its a Farce.. all Dining indoor and outdoor should open at the same time.. at least its a level playing field.. scrap all time constraints as the virus has no time limit.. and allow live Music.. what harm is it doing.. look at the sport.. hugging and celebrating with each other and no harm there.. Restrictions are pushing everyone to their limits..open the place up.. Save jobs…!!!
He will probably leak it in a few weeks!
what he means is put in mad rules and see what the baclash is
Neck with two heads
It should be reviewed now, not after the summer
He will probably leak in a few weeks!
Genuine Question, Why are Faite Ireland making the rules now when it previously was Government with NPHET advice
@SandraMeyler: my thoughts exactly. WTF do Failte Ireland know about infectious disease
@SandraMeyler: because apparently our government doesn’t know how to do anything
backlash
Oohh. Can’t wait to get me a substantial meal!!!
The elephant in the room is a drunken cohort who can’t or won’t behave like civilised human beings, even if there was never a pandemic. The drinking time limit is really an attempt to limit the amount of alchol a person can consume on the premises, so that some people won’t become unmanageable. However, although ireland apparently has relatively high booze taxes, and some recent token demarcation gestures per buying booze, it is still to cheap and easy to stock up in supermarkets and neighbourhood shops, and then there’s the irony of drink readily available in petrol stations. …. i wonder how covid19 deaths and long-Covid statistics compare to harm by overloaded livers, domestic violence, streetfights, drunk driving, hungover driving etc. etc.
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