‘It’s going to be horrendous’ – risk of taxi shortages as 600,000 arrive in Dublin this weekend

On top of the usual busy tourist traffic, this weekend sees Taylor Swift performing for three nights at the Aviva Stadium, the Longitude music festival at Marlay Park, Shania Twain playing Malahide Castle, and concerts such as the Saw Doctors in Fairview Park.

Today’s News in 90 Seconds – Tuesday June 25

Thousands will also be coming to Dublin for the annual Pride Parade, while GAA fans will also be flocking to Croke Park for the four football quarter-finals taking place on Saturday and Sunday.

A statement released by the Taxis for Ireland coalition has warned of “severe taxi shortages amid a busy weekend of activity”.

The group is calling on the NTA and the Government to take immediate action to address the issue and has proposed a 30pc increase in taxi vehicles by 2027.

It believes this would be a step towards “alleviating the impact of the decrease in driver and vehicle numbers over the past decade, coupled with Ireland’s population growth”.

They also want to stop requiring all new taxis to be wheelchair accessible, but would like to keep the grant that helps pay for these types of vehicles.

They also suggest re-evaluating the geography knowledge part of the taxi driver test to make it less challenging.

“The last thing we want people in Dublin to feel is stranded, waiting late at night for taxis in areas they may be unfamiliar with,” Donall O’Keefe, CEO of the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA), said.

“Taxis provide that extra layer of safety, particularly for visitors attending the city.

“We want Dublin and Ireland to remain competitive when it comes to hosting large events. However, we need to ensure additional taxi availability for the night-time economy in particular to enhance the experience of visitors to our capital city.”

However, Tiománaí Tacsaí na hÉireann Chair David McGuinness feels the finger needs to be pointed at public transport services and the local authorities to address the increase in demand when events like this are taking place.

He said the Taxis for Ireland coalition should be “calling for the buses to run 24 hours over the weekend” to ensure people get home safely.

“Instead, every time there’s a surge in demand, they point the finger at the taxi industry and not the public transport crisis in the city,” he said.

He added that taxi drivers will be the “only ones to blame” if people are stuck this weekend and the increase in pressure on drivers will be “absolutely horrendous”.

DublinTown also highlighted the ongoing issue with public transport availability “particularly at night”, noting that a 2023 survey found that 46pc of Dubliners visiting the city at night have concerns about getting home.

“People want more public transport at night and a majority are willing to pay extra for night transport services,” CEO Richard Guiney said.

“This is a matter we would like to see resolved. It is a real issue and is impacting the night time economy.”