Taxi numbers locally have declined by more than a tenth.
Figures from the National Transport Authority (NTA) show there’s been a 14% drop in Kilkenny while Carlow’s down 13%.
The details were announced in the form of a response to a parliamentary question by Independent TD Carol Nolan.
The South East region as a whole has seen shortages in the sector by over 11%, leading to criticism of current Small Public Service Vehicles (SPSV) policy.
The stats raise concerns for both locals and visitors to the area, especially as we head for the summer months.
CEO of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, Adrian Cummins, notes; “The significant decrease in taxi availability is a crippling blow to rural Ireland’s hospitality sector.”
“These businesses often rely on taxis to get customers home safely, especially after dark. With little to no public transport links in rural areas and without a vital taxi service, many people simply won’t go out, further squeezing already strained rural businesses. The Government needs to take immediate action to address this issue before it cripples the entire industry entirely.”
The decline in taxis is being attributed to a number of factors, including the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, an onerous entry system, and costly barriers for new drivers – such as outlays of up to €59,000 for a vehicle alone.
The Taxis for Ireland Coalition is calling on the NTA and the Government to take immediate action to address the shortage of taxis. They propose a 30% increase in taxi vehicles by 2027 as a step towards alleviating the impact of driver and vehicle number decrease over the past decade, coupled with Ireland’s population growth.
“A reliable and accessible taxi network is essential for a thriving hospitality industry and local economies,” says Kieran Harte, General Manager of Uber Ireland. “Taxis provide a safe and familiar option for visitors to Ireland and serve an invaluable service to people in rural and urban areas alike. We urge the Government and NTA to acknowledge the issue and take concrete steps to improve the supply of licensed, regulated taxi drivers and vehicles.”
The Taxis for Ireland Coalition is calling for the removal of the WAV requirement for newly registered SPSVs and a re-assessment of the SPSV Driver Entry Test’s geography-based knowledge requirements. The removal of the WAV requirement but the continuation of the WAV grant would mean a larger pool of taxis to choose from, meaning that people that do not need a WAV will not be booking one unnecessarily. The Coalition states that these measures would alleviate the current burdens facing prospective new drivers and would increase overall supply into the market.
