Members of the public are to be asked for their opinion on a proposal to increase taxi fares.
Proposals that maximum fares should be increased in line with costs of running a taxi, are going out to public consultation today.
Organised by the National Transport Authority (NTA), the purpose of the public consultation is to determine public support towards a proposal to increase fares by three per cent.
Wendy Thompson, the Head of Taxi Regulation with the NTA told Newstalk Breakfast on Wednesday that every two years the NTA commissions an independent study of the cost of providing a taxi service, along with consumer research and driver surveys.
There are 17,000 taxis in Ireland, 60 per cent of them in Dublin. There are 26,000 registered drivers. "It's our job to make sure it is a 24/7 door-to-door service - we want to make it better, safer, keep it affordable, make it more accessible for the public and make it fair for drivers.
“This year’s survey showed that operating costs have gone up by 3.2 per cent over all, taking into account insurance and fuel costs and the purchase price of the car. Everything that taxi driver has to pay to stay within our regulations and to provide the service.
“Today’s public consultation is the next step in the process.”
Ms Thompson said it was clear from studies that 3.2 per cent is the amount actual costs have gone up. “We think they’re conservative when you take in CSO labour costs. Taxi drivers were very cognisant during difficult times. For six years they did not put on any increase during that time even though the NTA recommended they do so back in 2012.
“We think it’s only fair to taxi drivers that this proposal is put forward to the public. The public are then in a position to bring their opinions back on this.”
She said she feels the public is going to be very understanding. The average fair in Dublin is about €15, so the increase will be less than 50c on a trip.
“To the passenger that is not a huge amount but cumulatively it will make a difference to a taxi driver.” Ms Thompson added that the NTA is looking at getting more drivers on the road at peak times that they’re needed.
Earlier this month the National Transport Authority (NTA) published the results of its National Taxi Fare Review for 2017 which proposed fare increases of between 3.2 per cent and 3.5 per cent depending on the length of journey.
This would see the initial charge of €3.60 for a standard weekday journey rise to €3.80 in the case of a 3.2 per cent increase, and the initial charge for weekend or late-night journeys would go from €3.80 to €4.20.
If the fare increase is approved by the NTA, the decision will be made at the next board meeting in September, the fare increases would be implemented in February 2018.
Jim Waldron from the National Private Hire and Taxi Association is an active driver himself, and he says the operational costs of recalibrating meters to align them with the new fare system could top €200.
“The NTA awards us an increase which can’t be taken until you invest in getting your meter resealed and recalibrated, which could cost €200 and two half-days off work. A lot of guys are terrified at the thought of having to stump up another €200, that’s the bottom line,” he said.
The suggestion of a three per cent increase has been described by some in the industry as “derisory” and “insulting”, but Mr Waldron sees it as a step in the right direction.
“The increase doesn’t go far enough but it’s certainly going in the direction. Every little helps.
“At three cent a mile it’s a long time before you work that back. Although it’s very minute, you have to accept that it’s an increase and it does go towards redressing some of the problems that we have,” he said.
Taxi drivers were last granted a fare increase of four per cent in 2014, but many complain that the costs of keeping a vehicle on the road have risen substantially over recent years. Cars which enter the fleet must now be younger than 10 years old, and insurance premium hikes continue to hit the sector hard according to Mr Waldron, who believes members of the public would be open to an even larger fare increase.
“A five per cent increase or a seven per cent increase, I don’t think people would have a major problem with that at this point in time.
“We have to pay rents, mortgages and additional costs the same as everyone else is so how are we meant to get it back?
"There was nobody really complaining about the increase in other forms of public transport; the fares went up on the Luas and Dublin Bus, Dublin Bus drivers got an increase in their wages. We're part of that public service as well," he said.
The NTA is accepting submissions from members of the public via a form on its website nationaltransport.ie.
