Taxi fares increase by 12 per cent from September 1
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Taxi fares increase by 12 per cent from September 1
Words: Ellen Kenny
If you can even manage to get a taxi at this stage, it will be for a much higher price.
The increased cost of taxis came into effect, raising taxi prices by 12 per cent. The new fare structure will mean that the initial charge for a journey will rise from 3.80 euros to 4.20 euros.
At “premium times”, after 20:00, on Sundays and Bank Holidays, the initial charge will now be 4.80 euros.
A ten minute journey will now increase by one euro to 1.50 euros. Taxi services between 20 and 25 minutes will also increase between three to four euros.
One slight positive for passengers is that all taxi drivers must now accept cards. So you never have to face that awkward moment on when the driver tells you they only take cash and you have to make them stop at an ATM for the longest five minutes of your life.
According to the National Transport Authority, this 12 per cent increase is in line with the rising cost of running a taxi.
You can calculate the price of your taxi journey here.
Taxi drivers “had no input”
If you have a bone to pick anyone on this increased price, don’t pick the person driving you home. David McGuinness of Tiománaí Tacsaí na hÉireann (TTnH) said he sympthasises with the frustration over the rising prices. He also explained that TTnH would have preferred a subsidy on fares, so customers do not face rising prices to accommodate the rising cost of fuel.
“We don’t actually have any input. No taxi driver has any input into the percentage or when these increases are given. That’s all at the hands of the NTA,” McGuinness told The Journal.
He also said that TTnH are worried that mandatory card payments could result in some drivers refusing to work late-night shifts.
“The problem is when it stops working, as we saw in the Aviva last week… A taxi driver at two or three o’clock in the morning, when somebody has a few beers on them and the system goes down. That’s where the issues will come up.”
Taxi shortage
There are currently 10,087 taxis in Dublin according to the NTA, an increase in only 32 taxis since the end of 2021. That’s seven taxis for every 1000 people in Dublin according to recent reports. And only 29 per cent of taxi drivers in Ireland operate on nights out.
A 2020 report found that 55 per cent of women do not feel safe using public transport at night. 34 per cent said that their concerns about safety travelling at night has prevented them from going out completely. If taxis are to become even more rare and expensive, how many more women will feel unsafe leaving their homes?
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