
A survey of rural Ireland’s tourism offering shows that 63pc of publicans believe their local taxi service is poor or non-existent, 68pc of people believe that action should be taken to increase the number of taxis, and 58pc of urban Ireland residents say that there is a taxi shortage.
A newly-formed coalition, consisting of six organizations from the tourism, hospitality, and enterprise sectors, has written to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan, highlighting the ongoing crisis and its impact on the Irish public, economy, tourism, and hospitality businesses for years.
Surveys conducted by the coalition found that seven out of 10 people find it difficult to get home from pubs and restaurants, with some publicans operating an informal taxi service to help customers.
Four surveys were conducted this year by coalition members, including the Restaurants Association of Ireland, Uber, Bolt, and the Vintners Federation of Ireland, revealed a poor perception of taxi availability.
The group says the lack of taxis is impacting publicans and discouraging people from going out at night, affecting both rural and urban communities.
The coalition urges the government to find a flexible solution that works for both drivers and customers, as well as address the impact of taxi shortages on tourism and the late-night economy.