The shortage of taxi drivers operating across the country is heading in the direction of a"crisis", according to Galway city taxi driver and councillor Frank Fahy, who owns the company Big O Taxis.
Cllr Fahy said that there were"virtually no young people" becoming taxi drivers, mainly due to the cost of insurance as well as the rising price of fuel, but also because they are not prepared to work anti-social hours. "If somebody doesn’t pay your taxi fare, there's the issue of availability of An Garda Síochána at that hour of the night and it's another hour wasted at usually the busiest time of the night. It can take years to come to court, if it ever comes to court. I've been in the industry 30 years but that is a constant issue for the last few years," he said.
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Climate Action, Communications Networks and Transport Darren O'Rourke said that the Government and National Transport Authority must sit down with taxi drivers to discuss their running costs.
Fine. More buses then. Taxis don’t have to be replaced. Nobody should judge young people for wanting a better job.
Not prepared to work.
Allow Uber in Ireland.
Everything nowadays is a 'crisis'! 🤣🤣
The most unsocial job you can get involved with, your out working when everyone else is partying, long shifts tiredness vomit runners🏃♂️ 🏃♂️ 🏃♂️ 🏃♀️ you think you're making a few euros then something goes wrong with the taxi.
How many reading this article got their licence before 20 and drove regularly? Did you really think it was that difficult? The bullshit kids have to go through now you would think they where part of a space program. It's been designed by insurance companies to justify fees.
Wait! Wasn't cost of insurance supposed to go down after the compensation go down? Compos were reduced over a year ago? And...? The insurance industry cannot stop laughing
Time to get an electric taxi.
I've only ever seen one or two ladies driving taxis, I always assumed it was a safety issue for them? I've seen lots of women delivery drivers and young men too. Safer and more money maybe?
Good time to start running 24 hour bus services and remove pub closing times.
I guess cleaning vomit off the backseat at 2am on a Saturday morning isn’t the dream it used to be…