ALERT: Major taxi shortages raises alarm for public safety over Christmas

The Taxis for Ireland Coalition has called to Irish policymakers to recognise the significant lack of licensed taxi drivers in Ireland and raises alarm over public safety issues during the Christmas period. 

They have called for a 30% increase of licensed taxi drivers by 2030 as "demand is far outstripping supply," according to the Taxis for Ireland Coalition manifesto. 

The Coalition has said that it wants the Government "to acknowledge the shortage of taxis and to take steps to improve the supply of licensed, Garda vetted taxi drivers and regulated vehicles."

The Taxis for Ireland Coalition was formed in 2023, and includes the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI), Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI), Licensed Vintners’ Association (LVA), Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC), Association of Irish Festival Events (AOIFE), Bolt and Uber among its members.

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Taxi group warns of safety concerns during Christmas driver shortagehttps://t.co/d12tSdJNpf

— Cork Beo (@corkbeo) December 19, 2024

Aisling Dunne, Head of Public Policy for Bolt Ireland has said that during "the Christmas period, a significant number of drivers turn off their apps and resort to road-side pickups only."

"While this is an understandable practice due to the huge demand placed on taxi services during this time of year, it can often leave users stranded on streets late at night possibly in unsafe, cold and dark areas not knowing when or how they will get home. It is for these reasons we are calling on the incoming government to take steps to help solve this taxi supply shortage,” Ms Dunne added.

FreeNow has said that it is "disappointing to see this recent information shared in the media by the so-called "Taxis for Ireland Coalition" when drivers themselves have not been consulted."

Danny O’Gorman, General Manager of FreeNow has stated that, "While Christmas is a time of high demand, 2024 has seen taxi supply growing strongly with more than 27,000 active SPSV driver licences active around Ireland. In fact, the taxi supply in Ireland is far higher than in our European counterparts according to NTA data. On average, the wait time for a FREENOW taxi is 17.5 seconds for ride acceptance and 3.5 minutes for driver arrival. This reflects the hard work of driver partners who are dedicated to providing prompt and reliable service for passengers across the country. We are continuously working to support our partner drivers and are currently running a Holiday Bonus Fund to thank and reward our drivers for their dedication and hard work, especially during this peak holiday period."

FREENOW has stated that it's "own taxi supply is also continuing to grow strongly, with a 24% year-on-year increase in H1 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. In this period, Limerick saw an increase of 33%."