Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Dublin Live
Dublin Live
National
Dan Grennan

'Large' taxi fare increase proposed to bring drivers back to industry

A "large" taxi fare increase has been proposed by the National Transport Authority in an attempt to bring drivers back to the industry.

Around one in ten drivers left the industry during the most intense two years of the Covid-19 pandemic.

There have been numerous complaints from revellers being stranded in the city after nights out due to a complete lack of taxis.

Read more: Dublin man shares ‘how to get a taxi hack’ on TikTok

The 12.5% increase to taxi fares - around an €2.50 increase to a €20 fare - is being proposed to entice the drivers lost during Covid back to the industry.

National Transport Authority CEO Anne Graham defended the proposed increase which would be the first since 2017-2018.

She said: "So that's five years since there's been any increases on taxi fares. So that represents about two and a half to three percent a year, which is reasonable if you think about the increase in the cost of living over those years."

The NTA are also trying to ensure there are more drivers available at night during peak times.

There have been numerous social media posts criticising the lack of taxis for people trying to make it home after a night out.

Ms Graham said: "So we've rebalanced the fares a little bit to ensure that there is more of a payment in the evening period - in the premium period - to encourage more drivers to be available at those times."

The NTA boss said about nine percent of taxi drivers have left the industry over the two years of intense Covid-19 restrictions which the authority hope will return to the industry for the increased fares.

Ms Graham added that the authority plans to make cashless payments mandatory in all taxis. Around 92% of taxis currently have cashless options.

Read more: Holly Carpenter waited 3 hours to get a taxi home after night out in Dublin

Read more: Three tips to help maximise your chances of catching a taxi in Dublin this weekend

Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.