Taxi Driver Online

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Taxis quadruple in four years but hackney numbers fall sharply
By Pádraic Geoghegan

SINCE deregulation was introduced taxi numbers have quadrupled, but hackney cabs have fallen sharply.
At present there are 99 taxis operating in Sligo town, compared to just 25 four years ago. In contrast, hackney numbers have fallen from 38 to around 20 cabs.
The cost of getting a licence and setting a taxi business up and running has fallen considerably since deregulation. The licence itself costs E6,500.
The extras, like the meter and roof sign, cost around E1,200. Insurance for first time taxi drivers is likely to be around E5,000-6,000. After that it is up the individual taxi driver how much to spend on the car itself.
In the Sligo and Environs Development Plan taxis are described as providing "an essential service to cover urban areas, complementing the local rail and bus service."
It goes on to say: "The only taxi stand is at Quay St. opposite Sligo City Hall, where a change to other modes of transport is not readily possible. Two new taxi ranks are proposed east and west of the city centre."
At present the only taxi rank formally proposed is one at Harmony Hill. At the moment the proposals are in the hands of the Gardaí who are reviewing them.
Members of the public still have the opportunity to make any comments or suggestions to Sligo Borough Council.
"Realistically it will still be three to four months before the taxi rank comes into operation", said Roisín Gannon of the Sligo Borough Council.
The Borough Council took over from the Gardaí in the regulation and management of taxis in Sligo six years ago.
In the next year it is hoped that the office of the National Taxi Regulator, Gerard Deering, will be fully operational and will take over that duty from the Borough Council.
While there are those who would welcome regulation, and in particular a standardised fare, local taxi drivers have their doubts about how a national standardisation of fares might work.
One thing the Borough Council have yet to decide on is the increase in fares over Christmas which was due for the Borough Council’s agenda last night (Monday).
Different increases are scheduled for different nights. The steepest coming unsurprisingly on the busiest nights of the festive season.

A hackney in Ireland is a PHV

yes the reporters have got it mixed up.

stupid reporting aint restricted to Ireland

Well the reporter didn't get it mixed up, because 'hackney' is the terminology used in Ireland for what we call a PHV.

But it certainly mixes us up, and I always have a chuckle when I see the term being used