Fare increase doesn't help address safety fears, says Cork taxi driver 

Taxi fares have increased this week, but a Cork driver says this move by the National Transport Authority fails to address the real problems face by taxi drivers in Cork city.

In September, the NTA announced that fares are to increase by 9% from December 1st. In addition to the 9% fare increase, the fee for pre-booking a taxi will also increase from €2 to €3.

The “special rate”, which currently applies to taxi fares during Christmas and New Year’s, will be extended to weekend peak times, meaning that taxis taken at this time will cost users €2 per kilometre, on top of the pre-booking charge and the initial charge.

Uber has expressed concern over the NTA’s decision to increase fares, saying this move will negatively impact the night-time economy and fails to address the ongoing taxi shortage.

Cork taxi driver Bobby Lynch said: “This won’t encourage more people to start driving taxis, much more needs to be done.

“It’s very dangerous out there, there are taxi drivers in trouble every night, one chap was attacked [in the city centre] recently and drivers are putting up with things like that every day of the week, no pay increase is worth that.”

He said: “Safety at night is better than any money. There’s a lot of elderly taxi drivers out there and I’d be worried about them. I know fellas had to retire out of fear of driving in Cork. They just parked their car and walked away from the business.

“The powers-that-be are thinking that throwing money at problems is going to solve them, but no amount of money will get taxi drivers onto the street the way the streets are at the moment: The streets have to be safe before any new taxi drivers will come.

“No one is looking after no one in this city. We see it in customers, too: Every day we pick up elderly people who are scared of their life around Patrick St, and if it’s bad during the day, you can only imagine what it’s like at night.”

TAXI DRIVERS 'WON'T GAIN' FROM FARE INCREASE

Mr Lynch added: “Some bases are putting up their fares, meaning the drivers will get that increase taken off them, and the apps will probably put up their fares now, so they’ll be the ones to gain out of this, not the taxis.”

Mr Lynch concluded: “All we want is to be recognised and looked after. We’ve got a lot of great customers, but it feels like our TDs don’t respect us at all. The TDs just elected need to look after the people in their own city and stop looking to Dublin, because it was the people of Cork elected them.”

Uber pointed to the NTA’s Taxi Driver Survey, published in August 2024, which found that only 14% of drivers would start driving nights because of increased prices, while only 19% of drivers stopped working nights because it was not financially worth it.

The head of Uber Ireland, Kieran Harte, said: “Raising taxi fares will have significant negative consequences for night-time economy workers who depend on taxis for safe transportation. Being the only door-to-door public-transport service, taxis are a vital part of Ireland’s transport network, especially at night.

“This decision will not only discourage people from enjoying the night-time economy, but will also harm businesses that rely on late-night trade,” adding that Ireland is already more expensive than other Western countries.

Uber, a member of the Taxis for Ireland Coalition, are calling for measures to attract and retain drivers, such as improved safety, reduced cost of entry for new drivers, and updated SPSV Driver Entry Test eography-based knowledge requirement.

The CEO of the National Transport Authority, Anne Graham, said: “The NTA’s biennial review is essential to ensuring the taxi industry remains sustainable and can continue to offer high-quality and reliable services. This 9% increase provides for the increasing operational costs drivers are facing, while balancing the needs of the travelling public.”