Ridesharing services like Uber could be the solution to rural Ireland’s taxi shortage, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Today, Taxis for Ireland Coalition will arrive at Leinster House to urge TDs to introduce reforms that will alleviate the situation. 

During the pandemic, a significant number of drivers quit the profession and many never returned to it after restrictions came to an end. 

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, Senator Tim Lombard said the situation is especially acute outside of Dublin. 

“The majority I think, or 60%, of all taxis are in this area [Dublin], whereas if you go to other parts of Ireland, we have a very short supply,” he said. 

“I’m from a place called Kinsale and it’s a massive problem there. 

“Literally, at 9PM on a Saturday night, you would not get a taxi out of Kinsale.” 

Tourism is a key part of West Cork’s economy and Senator Lombard said he is hugely worried about the impact the shortages are having on visitors to the area. 

“[It’s] not just Kinsale, it’s Bandon, it’s Clonakilty, it’s all the way back,” he said. 

“We’ve a tourism industry that depends on getting people home safely and taxi services are a really important part of that.” 

Uber

Presently, Uber is entitled to operate in Ireland; however, its drivers must also hold a taxi license. 

Senator Lombard believes the company could be “part of the solution” to addressing the taxi shortage and it could also help people looking for part-time work. 

“In particular, in areas outside of Dublin, we do have the opportunity for people to have an income,” he said. 

“Mainly, only in the peak times; it’s not viable, in many ways, to have a taxi going 24/7 in some of these small rural towns.” 

Senator Lombard said the NTA has “absolutely” been too slow on the issue and needs to bring forward reforms. 

“They need to move, otherwise we’re going to have a scenario that business and commerce will be majorly affected,” he said.  

Solutions

Part of the solution, he believes, is licensing reform, which he describes as highly antiquated given advances in technology. 

“I just can’t believe when you go to get a taxi licence now, it’s the same old test where you need to know every street and every county,” he said. 

“We all have a phone and you type in exactly where you’re supposed to go.

“This geography test is like something from another period, so we need to change with the times.” 

Last year, there were an estimated 25,000 taxi drivers in Ireland.

Main image: A row of taxis driving. Image: David Jackson/Alamy