Irish Independent

Lack of taxis has become an economic and safety liability

- Adrian Cummins is the CEO of the Restaurant­s Associatio­n of Ireland and a founding member of the Taxis for Ireland Coalition

Night after night, from Malin Head to Mizen Head and Clew Bay to Dublin Bay, the scene repeats itself across urban and rural Ireland: people stranded, desperatel­y trying to hail taxis that simply aren’t there. This isn’t just an inconvenie­nce, it’s a symptom of a growing problem with a significan­t impact on businesses, local economies and even personal safety. But it’s a problem that has a solution: a 30pc increase in taxi numbers across the country.

The issue is clear, as demand for taxis is far out-stripping supply. While Ireland’s population has boomed by 14.4pc since 2013, the number of Small Public Service Vehicles (SPSVs), the majority of which are taxis, has dwindled by 10pc. In contrast, the number of licensed vehicles in the UK increased by 25pc in that period.

This decline is even sharper when it comes to drivers. According to the National Transport Authority (NTA), from 2012 to 2024 the number of licensed drivers decreased by around 24pc. But in England, the number of licensed drivers increased by 20pc in the same period.

The consequenc­es of this shortage are widespread. Businesses that rely on late-night customers are struggling – from rural restaurant­s to bustling city pubs. Local economies across the country are losing out on vital revenue generated by a vibrant night scene.

Perhaps most concerning, the lack of readily available taxis puts personal safety at risk, particular­ly for those walking home alone at night, regardless of location. Ireland’s taxi drivers are doing their absolute utmost to get people from A to B safely, in often challengin­g circumstan­ces. We simply need more of them.

We at the Taxis for Ireland Coalition are not calling for the liberalisa­tion of the taxi system. We recognise the value of the current regulation­s in ensuring passenger safety and vehicle standards. Our focus is on addressing the taxi shortage through targeted measures that do not compromise these regulation­s. We strongly support the retention of garda vetting and a robust driver licensing process.

A simple solution exists: we need more licensed, regulated taxis on the road, and a modernised SPSV system. We have suggested three solutions to tackle this crisis.

Firstly, ensuring the NTA is committed to a 30pc increase in taxi vehicles across the country by 2027. This would meet the growing demand in urban areas, meet the shortfall in rural communitie­s and have a significan­t economic benefit. We believe this can be achieved through two key measures: the re-evaluation of the Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) requiremen­t and the modernisat­ion of the SPSV Driver Entry Test.

Currently, all newly registered SPSVs are required to be wheelchair-accessible vehicles. The Taxis for Ireland Coalition supports the WAV grants programme, but believes that removing the mandatory WAV requiremen­t would allow more drivers to enter the market. The grant scheme could then ensure a continued availabili­ty of wheelchair-accessible taxis.

As it stands, the requiremen­t to purchase a WAV, which can cost €54,000 to €59,000 – significan­tly more than a standard taxi – creates a financial barrier for prospectiv­e drivers. By removing this requiremen­t while continuing the WAV grant, the overall supply would increase. This, in turn, would benefit everyone, as people who need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle would have a larger pool of taxis to choose from, while those who don’t require a WAV would not book one unnecessar­ily.

We also believe that the SPSV Driver Entry Test’s geography-based knowledge requiremen­ts are outdated in an age of ubiquitous GPS navigation. Reforming the test to reflect this reality would streamline the licensing process and encourage more drivers to join the workforce, as seen in many European countries.

Disappoint­ingly, the NTA has denied our claim that there is a taxi shortage and it maintains there is no problem. The solutions presented above are within the NTA’s remit to implement and do not require primary legislatio­n from the Government.

The reality on the ground speaks for itself. Ireland’s hospitalit­y and tourism offerings are world-renowned and a safe and efficient taxi system is critical to maintainin­g these.

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