Streamlining the application process for taxi drivers would help reduce the nationwide shortage, a TD has suggested. 

During the pandemic, many taxi drivers switched careers because of a lack of work and never returned to the profession.

A recent poll by Newstalk found that 67% of recent female taxi users have experienced difficulties getting a taxi.

It is something Fine Gael TD Emer Higgins believes needs to be urgently addressed.

“I think we all know [there’s a] shortage of taxi drivers,” she told The Hard Shoulder.

“Ultimately, that puts some people off going on a night out altogether.

“That has an impact on the night time economy - it puts others in a vulnerable situation where they’re waiting alone in the dark late at night to get home.

“Really, the solution is to get more drivers on the road to resolve that.”

Dublin Taxi rank in City Centre, Republic of Ireland.

The solution, she feels, is to “streamline the application process” for people who want to be taxi drivers.

“People [should be able to] apply for their Garda vetting in parallel to their application for a driving test to become a taxi driver,” she said.

“Taxi licences are issued by the Gardaí after the Garda clearance and that can only be applied for after you pass the test.”

A line of taxis in Dublin city centre, 13-05-2021. Image: Artur Widak/NurPhoto

Deputy Higgins has been contacted by constituents who are keen to work as taxi drivers and their applications have taken far too long.

“[One man] passed his test last April, he applied in May for Garda clearance at his local Garda station and that took two months and then he waited another two months for the final sign off by the Carriage Office,” she said.

“So that meant there was a fourth month delay between him becoming certified as a professional driver in terms of passing the test and actually being able to be out on the road, earning a living and picking customers up.”

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Main image: Taxis in Cork. Picture by: Alamy.com