Problem and Solution

[Cool Boola]

This will be the winter of our discontent…the fat cats will see very little disturbance!….Ifin Im right?

[watty]

Watty what did we protest for years ago .Too many taxis .Then a chance comes along to thin out the fleet and we support our own Competition .Im sure if there were two Chippers in a town and the rule was you had to change an old fryer the chipper with the newest fryer would not be trying to keep the Competition in business .If this recession is as bad as forecasted lads will be screaming there is no work and too many taxis .

I never protested anything - I came in on the tsunami of deregulation so could hardly complain!

Now that I've 15 years under my belt, I don't think my opinion counts much, esp to the pen-pushers in the NTA, but I can point out the obvious about aging/dying drivers and vehicles.  New saloons and new drivers are an inevitability.

[mercenary for hire]

There may well be a few taxis needed at certain times and customers no longer have taxis immediately available on an app but Dublin is relatively well served.In previous years they had a much worse service from traditional radio companies.If they want drivers to invest in the industry they have to allow them to earn decent wages.That's not possible if they flood the kip again.

[watty]

My point is that there might not be any physical taxis or drivers left in a few years as we're all dying off!

The data are a year or two out of date and pre-Covid but the taxi industry is due a max exodus in a few years.  The NTA must see it coming as well as they're running ads on how to become a taxi driver!

<snip>

Vehicles:


Drivers:


Source: Taxi Bulletin 2020 (PDF) (pub Oct 2021)

[mercenary for hire]

There are lads trying to pass the test.They're either not that pushed or they're not putting the hours in to study for the exam.In previous years the exam standards were very low as yis all know.

[watty]

Laffin'  I remember when I did mine with the Carriage Office in charge.  One of the questions was to name 5 streets between point A and point B.  The Garda examiner told us all to relax and do our best.  He said if he got the feeling we knew where we were going, he'd pass us 

[taxi1990]

I have a WAV, I started when you had to get a WAV. so if they change the rules and allow new entrants use saloons, would you say I would be allowed use one as well?

[vandriver]

I would say you could apply for one.

[Rat Catcher]

I have a WAV, I started when you had to get a WAV. so if they change the rules and allow new entrants use saloons, would you say I would be allowed use one as well?

Yes.

[Punter]

No need to worry --no chance they will let out new saloon plates---their goal was 20% of the fleet I think !

[Rat Catcher]

Indeed... but all targets must be construed as dynamic. Obviously EV targets and Brexit have come along since then as has the next economic boom, reduced immigration and collapsing supply.

NTA specifically pointed to the UK market as a source of the last new new new new standard WAVs. Obviously Brexit impacts that as does the fact that those vehicles are generally powered by filthy diesel.

If we look at other jurisdictions with similar pub licensing and other regulations it's hard to conclude that the current taxi regulatory framework is fit for purpose. In London, for example, Free Now offers clapped out Pryeyes at a fraction of the price of a taxi. PH drivers in London don't have to pass "the knowledge" and there is no restriction on the issue of saloon PH vehicle licences...