Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
TAXI FARES ACROSS the country have increased by 9% as of 1 December, which the National Transport Authority says is to reflect the ‘rising costs’ of operating a taxi service.
The fee for pre-booking a taxi – including through an app – will increase by one euro, moving from €2 to €3 from now.
A “special rate” that is applied to weekend nights between midnight and 4am will see taxi prices rise to €2.20 per kilometre.
This rate also applies to taxi journeys taken on Christmas Eve, from 8pm to 8am on St Stephen’s Day, and during the same time from New Year Eve to New Year’s Day.
There is an initial charge of €5.40 on “special rate” taxi fares. Standard rates, which apply Monday to Saturday from 8am to 8pm, are set at €1.32 per kilometre. There is a €3 booking charge in place for all taxis booked online and over the phone.
A number of representatives of various taxi companies, including Uber and FreeNow, have criticised the increase.
Uber has said that the move will impact the night-time economy and fails to address an ongoing taxi shortage.
“The NTA’s decision to increase pre-booking fees and extend peak-time rates will significantly increase the cost of taxi journeys, particularly for those who rely on taxis to get home safely at night,” the company said.
“This will disproportionately affect workers in the hospitality, entertainment, and nightlife sectors.”
Head of Uber Ireland, Kieran Harte said, “Raising taxi fares will have significant negative consequences for night-time economy workers who depend on taxis for safe transportation. Being the only door-to-door public transport service, taxis are a vital part of Ireland’s transport network, especially at night.”
Harte said that the decision will discourage people from going out at night and harm businesses that rely on late-night trade.
FreeNow Ireland general manager, Danny O’Gorman, said that more than fare increases were needed to support taxi drivers.
“Increased safety concerns mean drivers are becoming less willing to work certain hours,” he said, adding that this was an issue industry representatives had brought up with election candidates.
He said that they were looking for a number of measures: “a dedicated Garda Helpline for drivers, ensuring Ireland’s regulatory standards and safety protocols are upheld, and requiring operators to invoice drivers from within Ireland to avoid VAT liabilities.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
They went full Islamist so it’s not a surprise.
@Alex: By having a Muslim leader you mean?
@Alex: have you ever been to scoland lad ,laddie or anything thing else you want to be know as , sectarian poverty, enormous wealth and religions that done everything to each other and still slaughtered our Islam friends ,
Very strange headline from PA / The Journal. Scottish independence movement is not at an end and won’t be until Scotland gains its independence again.
SNP can now all fit in sturgeon’s dodgy camper van….
@David Cotter: interesting that all that has gone very quiet. No court dates.
Constant moaning while they are funded by Westminster. And to say that he still in his heart and soul believes in Scottish Independence just shows how out of touch he is. At least his constituents seem to know which side their bread is buttered on. In comparison it seems he wants it buttered on both sides
@Fintan Neelan: very narrow view
U use the resources given to you ..
Would you rather they abstained like SF ?
NEVER happy
And SF is the 5th largest party in the UK! You can’t control borders if you don’t own your own borders. A United Ireland is inevitable
@D. Peadar:
If Shin Fein are serious about a United Ireland they need to start trying to convince the nationalists/catholics /wolf tone cd owners it’s a good idea.
The Scottish Independence movement has NOT collapsed. Independence led by 2% in the last poll a fortnight ago. It is simply much more than the SNP, which got a huge vote, just not as huge as Labour and the first past the post system flipped them out. Other parties and voters also support independence.
The first past the post system is very odd.
@Washpenrebel: How is winning by getting the most votes odd?
@Vincent Wallace: do you not think winning nearly two-thirds of the seats with a little more than one-third of the vote is odd? Do you not think the Liberal Democrats getting fewer votes than Reform but more than ten times as many seats is odd?
Just a few years ago, the UK appeared to be falling apart over Brexit and under Johnson and Truss. That moment is gone now but it would be very foolish to think it couldn’t come back again. Anything is possible.
@N M: the UK is falling apart,why do you think the tory party just got crushed
The Nicola Sturgeon debacle coupled with wanting to get the tories out of power right now lead to their poor showing. I doubt it’s changed one persons mind on independence. It’s just on the back burner until they can regroup.
The Scots never really wanted independence, only the romantic right to want it. I mean come on! They had their chance once, and said no. Put the independence question to bed and move on.
@Keth Tgi:
Watching Braveheart and painting their face blue seemed to work for a while.
All the SNP need is a new leader to continue the legacy of the past, perhaps Shane Codd or Rob Herring.
That’s what happen when you let Islamists in command. They made a mess of it. Frankly, that was laughable
Themselves and the fianna failers would make the mafia look like choirboys
have your say