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'We're in the midst of a crisis': Dublin revellers warned of taxi shortage over bank holiday

Taxi driver representatives have said they feel as though they are being blamed for a crisis that is the government’s responsibility.

REVELLERS IN DUBLIN’S city centre over the bank holiday weekend can expect a long wait for transport home at the end of their nights out, as the taxi shortage in the capital continues.

There has been a drop-off in active taxi drivers since the pandemic and the industry has failed to recover following the lifting of restrictions. According to the National Transport Authority, currently there are 25,336 taxi driver licences, 18,849 of which are active.

An NTA survey this year found that 93% of licensed taxi drivers are now working, but only 29% work during the busy period of Friday and Saturday nights.

This week a number of readers shared their experiences of trying to get home after nights out socialising in the city centre, with some stating they waited hours for a taxi, while others decided to just walk home. Some said they had tried to use the public transport options that were available, but these too were full to capacity. 

It has, some readers said, turned them off socialising in the city centre unless they have a lift home lined up.

Sinn Féin TD Darren O’Rourke raised the issue with the Minister for Transport recently. Speaking to The Journal, he said he “continues to be concerned about the crisis in the taxi industry”, particularly as we head into a busy bank holiday weekend.

“There is not supply to meet demand at particular times like the weekends, but there at other times when there is ample supply, so that’s something that needs to be looked at,” he said.  “We have a situation where, due to the cost of living increases and fuel price increases taxi drivers are struggling to get by and to make ends meet. 

“That points to a dysfunction in the market and we’re in the midst of a crisis now that has the real potential to get significantly worse.”

David McGuinness, chairperson of the taxi driver representative organisation Tiomanai Tacsai Na hEireann (TTnH), told The Journal that people who are planning to socialise in the city centre should be prepared for transport challenges. 

“There won’t be enough Luas or buses and unfortunately the taxi industry will be expected to pick up the flack – and the bad publicity – because there’s no other form of transport for people,” he said. 

Dublin Bus has said a full Nitelink service will operate on Friday and Saturday nights, but there will be no Nitelink service on Sunday, which is expected to be another busy night in the city.

Taxi driver representative organisations have called for a number of measures to address the shortage of night-time transportation from the city centre at weekends. McGuinness said the government and National Transport Authority (NTA) have to take responsibility for the issue as drivers feel as though the blame for the shortage has fallen on them.

“Drivers do feel blamed – every Monday or Tuesday after a busy weekend it seems like there are radio shows about how bad the taxi service is, how there aren’t enough of them, but there are 9,000 taxis in Dublin.

“We went to them with ideas, we warned them this would happen and it’s up to them now to come up with some kind of progressive ideas,” he said.

“They need to do something to attract young people into the industry because at the moment it’s not seen as a longterm option that people can set out a ten or 15-year career for themselves in.”

He said an easier transfer of taxi licences between family members should be facilitated again to encourage a passing-down of the job within families.

An adequate premium rate for weekend evenings may also attract drivers back into the city centre during those peak times, he said. 

The NTA has proposed a 12.5% overall fare increase as part of the current ongoing review of the Maximum Fares Order. This would include a premium rate during these peak times, but representative organisations have said this overall fare hike does not go far enough, particularly when rising fuel prices and the cost of living crisis are taken into account. 

The Department of Transport has pointed to a number of supports put in place during the pandemic such as an increase in the maximum vehicle age and a measure to allow licence holders to be inactive for 24 months so they could remain attached to the industry with no associated costs. 

The department said the Advisory Committee on Small Public Service Vehicles [taxis] continues to meet on a monthly basis and that the NTA, which is the independent regulator of the sector, “has been in constant contact with operators, drivers and representatives throughout the pandemic via email, text messages and phone calls”.

McGuinness, a former member of this advisory committee, said the taxi representative organisations no longer engage with the committee. 

“We proposed changes to try make committee work better, those proposals were all just refused, there was no point in taking part in the committee,” he said.

In response to a recent question in the Dáil from Sinn Féin’s Darren O’Rourke, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said he disagreed with a proposal from the deputy to offer more flexibility on the ten-year rule for the age of vehicles in the fleet to ease the financial burden on drivers. 

“If we continue to increase the age of the fleet of the taxi industry, it will become an issue for customers and the quality of the industry at a certain point. It is now time to go back to the ten-year rule,” the Minister said. 

He acknowledged the loss of around 2,000 taxi plates but said there was “a strange mix of realities” in the industry.

“On the one hand, taxis are not very busy in some areas. On other occasions, people are flat out and it is difficult for customers to get taxis,” he said.

“We will work with the taxi regulator on an ongoing basis to make sure we get the best service and correct number of taxi drivers. If there needs to be more taxis on our streets, that might be one of the solutions.”

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    Mute Aaron O'Leary
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    Dec 25th 2015, 3:13 PM

    Merry Christmas to all the staff at the Journal and all the let’s just say opiniated commenters haha. Wouldnt be the same without the daily arguments. Have a good one guys. Be merry!

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    Mute Patrick Hurley
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    Dec 25th 2015, 4:07 PM

    Who are you to tell me to be merry?

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    Mute Ryan Hardy
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    Dec 25th 2015, 4:43 PM

    Tosser

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    Mute Dan Harrington
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    Dec 25th 2015, 3:16 PM

    Normally I take these things with a pinch of salt, but I would gladly watch Muppets Christmas Carol on repeat in July.

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    Mute Paul Wallace
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    Dec 25th 2015, 3:20 PM

    Merry Christmas to all the readers and to the trolls and shinnerbods who keep the rest of us normal people on our toes in the comments section ! We know who you are !

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    Mute Supernova
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    Dec 25th 2015, 3:34 PM

    Merry Christmas to all the teenyboppers with multiple fake accounts who have nothing better to be doing than constantly talking about sinn féin and saying the same stuff over and over. Yous know who ye are. Merry Christmas all!

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    Mute Ger Comings
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    Dec 25th 2015, 3:39 PM

    SFIRA?

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    Mute Rosie Gluten
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    Dec 25th 2015, 3:45 PM

    Ger-m8!

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    Mute Gareth
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    Dec 25th 2015, 4:58 PM

    Merry Christmas to all the west brits who write on the journal

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    Mute Joe Bloggs
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    Dec 25th 2015, 4:07 PM

    DieHard..yippeee kayaaa..mother superior….etc

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    Mute Get Lost Eircodes
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    Dec 25th 2015, 3:06 PM

    Roses are muck, time for Cadburys to cull them!!!

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    Mute Rasputin
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    Dec 25th 2015, 3:19 PM

    They were probably always muck but we never knew better however it’s traditional to eat a few…. boxes..

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    Mute D H
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    Dec 25th 2015, 5:47 PM

    Its cadburys thats muck…changing the recipe to a successful product to save money sucks

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    Mute Supernova
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    Dec 25th 2015, 3:08 PM

    Whoever eats the bounty style sweets should be shot!

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    Mute Ryan Hardy
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    Dec 25th 2015, 4:42 PM

    Hung!

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    Mute Patrick Hurley
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    Dec 25th 2015, 3:07 PM

    Miracle on 34th street. Sound.

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    Mute Matt Donovan
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    Dec 25th 2015, 4:28 PM

    Am gutted that Raiders of the lost ark isn’t on. It’s not Christmas without it.

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    Mute John Ward
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    Dec 25th 2015, 3:17 PM

    Merry Mythmas!

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    Mute SCO Electrical
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    Dec 25th 2015, 4:15 PM

    Happily watch National Lampoons!! Actually think I will. Bad Santa last night!

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    Mute Meehawwl O'Buachailla
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    Dec 25th 2015, 4:57 PM

    Elf! Result!

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    Mute Gareth Stewart
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    Dec 25th 2015, 3:46 PM

    ”Song of the Sea, because it’s lovely and the rest of the family haven”t seen it.. Merry Christmas everyone. Drive safe.

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Dec 25th 2015, 4:27 PM

    Gareth that’s a great little movie to watch , a real family one.

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    Mute stephen
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    Dec 25th 2015, 4:14 PM

    Schindler’s List, ?

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Dec 25th 2015, 4:25 PM

    Great movie!

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    Mute Carm(Little Vampire)
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    Dec 25th 2015, 3:36 PM

    Muppets Christmas Carol I got. Yep I like the story of Scrooge

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    Mute P. Ennis
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    Dec 25th 2015, 4:25 PM

    With very young kids, snow white does the job

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    Mute Ger Comings
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    Dec 25th 2015, 3:21 PM

    Now 3pm – who could miss HM the Queen. Even the shinners would find it hard to disagree with her views and sentiments.

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    Mute Supernova
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    Dec 25th 2015, 3:35 PM

    I was watching our own queen “panty blisses” summing up of 2015 on tv3. Made for great telly.. Not

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    Mute Patrick Hurley
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    Dec 25th 2015, 3:53 PM

    He’s had his 15 minutes of fame now. Please no more.

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Dec 25th 2015, 4:27 PM

    Totally agree !

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    Mute Anne O'Hara
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    Dec 25th 2015, 6:28 PM

    2nd poll I’ve done telling me National Lampoons Christmas Vacation is “my” film. I hate it

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    Mute Void bringer
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    Dec 26th 2015, 12:06 AM

    Batteries not included!!

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Dec 26th 2015, 2:30 AM

    You should watch… Muppets Christmas Carol

    Light the lamp, not the rat!

    Never say it, don’t fancy it either…

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Dec 26th 2015, 2:31 AM

    Know too many muppets anyway lol.

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