‘Passenger safety will be compromised’ if ride-share apps are introduced as cab shortage solution, claims taxi boss
Lynk CEO Noel Ebbs has hit out at suggestion of ride-share 'free-for-all'. Photo: Jason Clarke Photography
Paul Hyland
June 20 2022 04:25 PM
The head of a leading Irish taxi operator has said “ride-hail” car-share platforms are less regulated and as result less safe than taxis.
CEO of taxi app Lynk, Noel Ebbs has hit back at comments made by Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, who recently remarked on the current shortage of taxis in Dublin and said he finds it easier to “get a car ride” in other countries.
The Tánaiste said platforms such as Uber and Lyft could play a role in fixing the current taxi shortage.
Bouncing back from Covid has been a huge challenge for taxi drivers
Uber, in other countries, facilitates paid-for lifts in private drivers’ cars. Currently you can only use the Uber app in Ireland to book a regulated taxi driver.
To become an Uber driver in Ireland you must have a taxi licence.
However, Mr Ebbs has argued that caution is needed.
“While some people think it might be ‘easier to get a ride’, passenger safety will be compromised with platforms that allow unregistered, unregulated drivers to act as taxis,” he said.
“At the moment the taxi industry is regulated, which means vehicles must be kept to a certain standard and drivers can’t operate without first passing the required tests and then acquiring Garda clearance.
"If we introduce platforms that allow anyone at all to operate a taxi then standards across the board will drop.
"But not only standards. Safety too. And this, at a time when the world – the US, the UK and Europe – is heading in the opposite direction with many countries commencing the process of cleaning up and regulating the ride-hail industry. And some, in fact, super-regulating them.”
Mr Ebbs agreed that there is currently a shortage of taxis to meet demand at peak times. He said the Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with the war on Ukraine, has created the current issues and drivers, “who are doing their best”, should not be blamed.
He added: “It’s Covid’s fault and its Vladimir Putin’s fault. First, by creating a labour shortage as many of our foreign-national cousins went home during the pandemic to be with their family.
"While many others decided not to return to work due to advancing age or underlying health problems, which put them at risk.
"Second, in the form of Mr Putin who brought about the biggest and most rapid rise in fuel costs the likes of which have not been seen since the industrial revolution, making it uneconomical for many taxi drivers to operate at times.
"These two issues have combined to create the perfect storm causing this labour shortage. The expected fare increase later this year should address the economics of the problem, for those currently at work anyway.”
Currently taxi drivers in Ireland must pass two exams to enter the industry – the Industry Knowledge Test and the Area Knowledge Test.
Mr Ebbs said these are both “tough tests” which many taxi applicants fail on the first attempt.
‘Free-for-all’
"The Area Knowledge test is particularly difficult. And it all takes time. Time that we don’t really have right now, especially when you consider the map and navigation apps available to us, which almost all taxi drivers use. Maybe we should look at this,” he said.
“For the bigger picture we need to find smarter solutions than throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
"If we deregulate to the point of a free-for-all, a lot of our trusted taxi drivers would be put out of the industry.
"Many Irish taxi drivers have years of experience and we must protect that.”
It comes as the National Transport Authority (NTA) has announced that taxi fares will increase by 12pc from September, while drivers must also provide cashless payment options for customers.
General manager of taxi firm Free Now Ireland, Niall Carson said the increase will help drivers with rising costs and increase the national fleet.
"The proposed increase of fares by 12pc will help taxi drivers manage rising operating costs and earn a more reasonable living while they continue providing essential public transport throughout the country,” he said.
"An overwhelming majority of our driver partners surveyed last month stated that their ability to stay working as a taxi driver would be compromised if the NTA’s fare increase hadn’t come into effect.
"We hope the new rates will not only support existing taxi drivers in maintaining their careers in the sector, but will also help aspiring drivers to consider joining the licensed taxi driver fleet.
"With our national taxi fleet diminishing over the past 10 years by 30pc and further depletion since the pandemic, it’s crucial that we retain the great drivers we already have on our roads, while also exploring ways to bring new drivers on board.introduced”
