Drop in taxi numbers in 23 of 26 counties a 'crippling blow' to hospitality sector

The biggest drop in available taxis has been seen in the border region, where the number of taxi licences decreased by 14.5%. In county Monaghan, the number of licences fell from 147 in 2019 to 108 last year – a 26.5% drop.

In Cork, the number of taxi licences fell 7.09% from 2,370 in 2019 to 2,202 last year. A similar decrease was reported in Waterford, where a 6.98% drop was recorded. Clare and Tipperary saw 4.88% and 4.43% decreases, respectively.

The NTA figures show Kerry and Limerick were two of only three counties which saw increases in the number of taxis in operation. There were 1,017 taxis in Kerry last year compared to 994 in 2019. In Limerick, there were exactly 1,000 taxis in operation in 2023, up from 937 in 2019.

Dublin was the only other county which saw an increase, with the total number of taxis in the capital increasing from 15,318 in 2019 to 15,465 in 2023.

The figures were provided to Independent TD Carol Nolan following a parliamentary question.

The Taxis for Ireland Coalition, which was formed last year and is made up of representatives from the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI), the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland, the Licensed Vintners’ Association, the Irish Tourism Industry Federation, and Bolt and Uber, amongst others, said the “dramatic drop in available taxis" raises concerns for the country's "vital hospitality industry and everyday passengers, particularly as tourist numbers are expected to double over the coming months and are already higher than this time last year”.

The group attributed the drop to factors such as the fallout from the covid pandemic, an “onerous entry system”, and costly barriers for new drivers.

“The significant decrease in taxi availability is a crippling blow to rural Ireland’s hospitality sector,” said RAI CEO Adrian Cummins.

“These businesses often rely on taxis to get customers home safely, especially after dark. With little to no public transport links in rural areas and without a vital taxi service, many people simply won't go out, further squeezing already strained rural businesses.

“The Government needs to take immediate action to address this issue before it cripples the entire industry entirely.” 

In a statement, the Taxis for Ireland Coalition called on the NTA and the Government to take immediate action to address the shortage," he said. 

The group is proposing a 30% increase in taxi vehicles by 2027, which they say would be a “step towards alleviating the impact of driver and vehicle number decrease over the past decade, coupled with Ireland's population growth”.

They have also called for the removal of the wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) requirements for newly-registered taxis, and for “a re-assessment of the SPSV [small public service vehicles] entry test's geography-based knowledge requirements.