TAXI APP FREENOW will today tell an Oireachtas Committee that close to two-thirds of taxi drivers have ended shifts early due to safety concerns.

Freenow says this has a “knock-on effect on passengers, who are left stranded and feeling unsafe”.

A Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport will today meet to discuss issues facing the taxi Industry.

Freenow said it will “emphasise the need to address driver concerns through targeted enforcement, dedicated support channels, and equal inclusion in transport policing measures”.

Uber and Bolt will also appear before the Committee, as well as the All Ireland Taxi Association.

The Committee met last week and Committee Cathaoirleach Michael Murphy said today’s meeting will be another opportunity to “hear further” about how the taxi industry is “being impacted by the changing working conditions”.

“There is no doubt that this sector is facing significant challenges and we will continue to recognise the strength and consistency of the difficulties faced by those trying to provide transport options for the Irish public,” said Murphy.

Last week’s meeting focused on the rise of taxi apps and the National Private Hire and Taxi Association warned that the Irish market risks being “controlled by profit-driven algorithms”.

The Committee also heard that the app algorithms “increasingly reward longer hours and penalise job refusal”, which creates downward pressure on earnings and threatens the long-term viability of the profession.

Murphy said today’s meeting will be about “how these changes are impacting not only the taxi drivers but also the users of the applications”.

Danny O’Gorman, General Manager at Freenow, said today’s meeting will be about discussing the “critical threats to driver livelihoods and how to protect the sustainability of the taxi industry”.

He said he will “highlight concerns surrounding calls for deregulation, driver and passenger safety, and hidden VAT liabilities facing drivers”.

Ahead of the Committee meeting, O’Gorman said safety concerns are one of a “number of critical challenges which jeopardise our industry”.

He said increasing numbers of drivers are opting out of night work due to safety concerns and that means “more people will be left stranded without a secure way home”.