Population soaring - but tougher than ever to make a living.
https://www.corkbeo.ie/news/local-news/cork-loses-over-300-taxis-27697545Cork loses over 300 taxis in ten years
Population soaring - but tougher than ever to make a living out of a taxi
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Cork is facing a taxi crisis as running costs have made the occupation a no-go for potential drivers.
There are currently 1,600 taxis in operation in the county - down from almost 2,000 ten years ago. This is despite the population of the county growing by 17,000 in the last six years.
And the dramatic fall in the number of taxi drivers is causing major headaches for those in rural areas and the tourism industry who wish to travel to the city but experience long waits or no options at all.
Insurance providers Insuremytaxi.ie say that several years ago it became unaffordable to pursue a career in the profession due to soaring insurance premiums, but a new agreement reached with insurers should shave hundreds of euros off the average insurance premium- particularly for small public service vehicles outside of Dublin.
Jonathan Hehir, MD of Insuremytaxi.ie said: “We’ve been in discussions over the last 18 months and are delighted to launch this service and much-needed competition to the market”.
Experts at Insuremytaxi.ie say that taxi insurance is one of the areas of commercial insurance where historically there have been very high premiums – and which has significantly added to the cost of running a taxi. The company believes high insurance costs have contributed to the fact that many drivers have left the business and have acted as a disincentive for new drivers to come in.
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Mr. Hehir explained:
“In Cork, there are currently approximately 1600 taxis in operation down from almost 2000 ten years ago. And yet between 2016 and 2022 alone, the population of the county grew by over 17,000.
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This has a negative knock-on effect on both our hospitality and tourism industry. Being left stranded late at night because of a shortage of taxi drivers, particularly at busy times like Christmas or after concerts or festivals, is not a good selling point.
The shortage of taxis in rural areas is a perennial problem, particularly in isolated rural areas where the cost of providing taxis is often a major obstacle. A better-resourced rural taxi service could help combat social isolation in rural areas, particularly for the elderly. The implications of an underserviced public are wide-ranging – of course, there’s the public safety element for people who cannot get home late at night. Unfortunately, drink-driving is also an issue. Not having a dependable means of transportation home may well entice people to break the rules around drink-driving.
In addition, for the tourists arriving in this country, often their first experience is an hour-long wait for taxis at airports and train stations. This isn’t acceptable. There simply aren’t enough taxis on the roads. We believe our new low-cost insurance will encourage more people to apply for a taxi licence at a time when there is such a shortage of them and hopefully improve the taxi experience for locals and tourists alike. However, the Government also needs to take action to alleviate taxi shortages”.
It must be remembered that the government, DAA, FREENOW & BOLT, and the other minnows make no effort to inform the 9,000 or so free taxi drivers who don't pay a subscription fee to the airport authorities, that there are passengers at the airport who are willing to avail of their services immediately.
