- The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission called for consideration of opening the Irish market to more ride-hailing services.
- The Minister for Transport stated there is no intention of allowing any private car and app to provide taxi services.
- Catarina Marvão argues that reform should preserve driver vetting, vehicle checks, insurance, tax compliance and complaint systems.
- Marvão compares Dublin with Lisbon, where similar 12km trips cost several times less through ride-hailing quotes.
- Marvão proposes a pilot scheme in areas with persistent shortages to measure waiting times, prices, driver earnings and safety complaints
The Irish taxi market has continued to draw attention over price and availability, with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission calling for consideration of opening the market to more ride-hailing services. The Minister for Transport has pushed back, stating there is no intention of allowing a model where anyone with a private car and an app can provide taxi services. Analysis by Catarina Marvão of UCD has argued that the framing is too binary and that the real question concerns whether Ireland can design a better regulated market.
Marvão stated that taxi demand is uneven and rises sharply after events, at weekends, during holidays and when public transport is limited. She shared that a more open system could increase supply when it is most needed and that app-based ride-hailing can match passengers and drivers more efficiently. She shared that any reform must preserve driver vetting, vehicle checks, insurance, tax compliance and complaint systems. She stated that fares reflect real costs including insurance, fuel, vehicle maintenance, regulation and the cost of living, and that high prices combined with poor availability suggest the market may not be competitive enough.
Marvão compared Dublin with Lisbon, stating that the cost of living in Dublin is roughly 39pc to 47pc higher and that a €10.50 ride in Lisbon would be expected to cost roughly €14.60 to €15.44 in Dublin if cost of living alone explained fares. She shared that Irish app quotes for similar 12km trips are several times higher than Portuguese ride-hailing quotes. She stated that Portugal operates ride-hailing under a TVDE legal system requiring regulatory compliance and platform booking, and that a pilot scheme in areas with persistent shortages could measure whether additional supply reduces waiting times and prices.
