Taxi business has fallen off a cliff says Limerick Taxi Driver

[silverbullet]

Limerick taxi driver says nighttime business has "fallen off a cliff"
All Live95 News
Wednesday, 19 March 2025 12:19

By Live95 News Team

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He says the numbers for Saint Patrick's weekend were okay, but they are nothing like pre-Covid levels.

Rising fuel prices are causing Limerick people to pump the brakes on driving, and change to public transport.

According to Aviva Insurance, motorists are cutting back on journeys as petrol and diesel prices rose for the fourth consecutive month in February.

Limerick taxi driver Anthony has seen this first hand, speaking on Live 95's Limerick Today he said "everybody knows that you put your euros worth of petrol, well you wouldn't get much for a euro now".

Anthony says the government could do more to support people who drive:

"There's no such thing as giving the people a break- saying 'look we're going to reduce excise and petrol and diesel and so forth', and then they bring in the carbon tax".

Taxi prices increased by 9% in December, which Anthony said was the first increase in two years. He says that the increase was "swallowed up by fuel costs, tax costs, and insurance reasons and everything else".

Speaking to Live 95's Joe Nash, the Limerick taxi driver agreed that more people are switching to public transport, but access isn't the same for everybody.

"It's OK if you're living in an area that's served by a bus, but not everybody's like that".

"The infrastructure for public transport, it's OK, in the cities and rural towns. But in general, in the cities and places like that, people do use a lot of the public transport".

When asked about the use of taxi services throughout fuel price increases, Anthony said "as far as I can see, they're not using the taxi service at the moment".

He says that nighttime businesses, including taxi services, have "fallen off a cliff", and says Covid is one of the major reasons.

Anothony says the numbers for Saint Patrick's weekend were okay, but that they are nothing in comparison with pre-Covid levels.

He also says people "haven't got the money- it's too expensive to go out".

https://www.live95fm.ie/news/live95-news/limerick-taxi-driver-says-nighttime-business-has-fallen-off-a-cliff/

[Rat Catcher]

He should buy an EV.

[C5]

If diesel/petrol went to 3 euro I'd still drive a diesel/petrol or hybrid at a push, at least you can keep it if you retire or sell it on for a runabout that will still do 1200km a fill.

[watty]

If diesel/petrol went to 3 euro I'd still drive a diesel/petrol or hybrid at a push, at least you can keep it if you retire or sell it on for a runabout that will still do 1200km a fill.

That'll be handy in a country that's 486 km long and 275 km wide 

[C5]

Exactly and will be do the same range when it's 15 years and over. EVs are on the edge of that brand new.

[Rat Catcher]

I get about 800 kilos from a full tank on the MKIII Octy (DSG) with it regenerating the DPF every 90-120 kilos. The MKII is better on juice despite having a bigger engine (1.9 -vs- 1.6) but that has a manual 5 speed box.

[watty]

Most EV taxi drivers don't think too much about range because they charge their work vehicle while they're sleeping.

[silverbullet]

Most EV taxi drivers don't think too much about range because they charge their work vehicle while they're sleeping.

Or the f**kwits saying "But whaddya do if ya gerra a job to Donegal?"
Well its approx 220 km to donegal and the rang on my heap is 548 km on a good day.

[There are chargers en route].

[C5]

548km on a good day, now roll on a few hundred thousand Kms and over 7 years plus older battery and a long job comes, sorry I can't take ya because I have an old EV and I'll have to charge on route. The grants are going to disappear for full EVs a financial shit storm could be on the way ditch the full EVs while there is still a usable life in it and get a hybrid or a normal car.

[John m]

Dont normally work after 10AM .Out today 10Am until 2Pm 4 hours 3 jobs one cash one Uber one Free Now .few Uber offers 15 minutes away .Free Now navigation not working glitching .Loads of traffic everybody going out to buy Mothers Day Gifts .

[mercenary for hire]

I had a good day today John.I only stayed out a little bit longer than usual because the half Marathon is on tomorrow so it will be either great or unbearable depending on if you can get around.I done no work during the week.Seems to be a lot of tourists in today.

[silverbullet]

548km on a good day, now roll on a few hundred thousand Kms and over 7 years plus older battery and a long job comes, sorry I can't take ya because I have an old EV and I'll have to charge on route. The grants are going to disappear for full EVs a financial shit storm could be on the way ditch the full EVs while there is still a usable life in it and get a hybrid or a normal car.

If I'm still driving c*nts around in seven years time, I'll be buying a second-hand wobbly stool from the estate of a woke f**ker that topped his/her, they/themselves, from one of the American Pharma companies that closed down.

I don't budget for a job that may or may not come in seven years time, preferring to see what happens on the next shift.

Thirty years on, and I can count the country jobs completed on my two hands.

Virtually every one required a backhander to the fat base controller.

I'm glad you enjoy being under your car in the same way RC does. Driving an EV allows me more leisure time,with virtually  no maintenance to budget for.

My poor cuz has a Peugeot diesel and it's breaking his heart...and wallet.
but, each to their own.

[C5]

So your not maintaining your car, every car requires yearly maintenance at least, all I do is brake jobs and a quick oil/filter service less than an hour. I presume your EV has filters, suspension, braking system , if your not doing it yourself you have to bring it somewhere and go back and pay a few hundred and get it home, that takes time I have an oil change done before you've dropped off your EV for its service. EVs and regular cars are the same to a point but regular cars last longer. Your friend in the Peugeot is pushing out oil changes and using low grade oil and filters and cheap base fuel and doing alot of idling, tell him to get a hybrid.

[mercenary for hire]

There's only gear box oil,brake fluid and coolant.You could easily drive an new EV for a few years without doing anything to it.Most of the services are basically putting it up on a ramp and checking to see if anything has fallen off or come loose.I've read the service manual for my yoke and it's mostly inspections to see if there's any damage.

It's interesting how brake fluid services became more important as soon as the dealers couldn't make money from oil changes.I'd say there are three or four year old EVs out there that haven't gotten any more than tyre and wiper changes.

I'm not saying it's the right thing to do but a lot of the stuff in the service manual is bullshit.

I think SB is on holidays.

[Wingnut]

Yeah Toyota wants to change the brake fluid every 30k, mine has been changed twice now and the car isn't even 2 years old yet. I've had cars with 10 year old brake fluid in the past with zero issues stopping or passing the nct.