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ANOTHER RUSH-HOUR PROTEST by taxi drivers against Uber’s new fixed rates is set to take place across Dublin tomorrow afternoon.
Organisers of the protest said that they “apologise again” in advance for the disruption, but insisted the action is necessary to “secure the future for all the drivers and families suffering with uncertainty”.
The drivers have accused Uber of undermining the regulated taxi fare structure set by the National Transport Authority (NTA) with its new fixed rate system.
Uber recently introduced the optional fixed-price model, guaranteeing passengers a maximum fare upfront instead of the usual estimated range that can rise with traffic or route changes.
The company says it will reduce “meter anxiety”, and passengers will still pay the lower amount if the meter comes in under the fixed price.
More than 6,000 drivers in Ireland currently use the Uber app.
Taxi drivers claim the model amounts to “predatory pricing” and leaves drivers earning less, particularly during traffic delays.
A ‘go slow’ protest was held in Dublin last Wednesday, which resulted in gridlock across the city and brought traffic to a standstill near government buildings and near Dublin Airport.
Organisers said today that weekly protests will continue “until this matter is resolved”.
Derek O’Keeffe, spokesperson for Taxi Drivers of Ireland said that drivers “do not want to protest”.
“We want to work. But we are being left with no choice. If this continues, there will be nothing left of the Irish taxi industry but memories,” O’Keeffe said.
He added that that no communication has been received by taxi drivers yet from Uber indicating any intention to withdraw fixed fares from the Irish market.
“This silence is not acceptable. This situation has now reached breaking point,” O’Keeffe said.
The protest tomorrow will begin at 4.30pm, and will see taxi drivers purposefully delaying traffic.
The protest routes are as follows:
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