Taxi Driver Online

Dubliners facing long wait times for taxis due to rising insurance premiums

Some punters have claimed they had to walk home as far as Finglas and Santry

Dubliners could soon be faced with long waiting times for taxis, a councillor has claimed.

Fianna Fail councillor Paul McAuliffe has warned that we risk being faced with extended waiting times due to rocketing motor insurance premiums.

As a result of the rising prices, councillor McAuliffe claims that taxi drivers are now leaving the business and making it harder for punters to find a lift home.

He said: “Not since the early 2000s have I heard so many stories of people waiting at taxi ranks for a lift home.

“I’ve spoken to many taxi drivers, and the story is the same. Many are leaving the business because the cost of their motor insurance is continuing to rise.

“In one instance, a man interested in putting a disability-friendly taxi on the road was unable to even get a quote for insurance."
And councillor McAuliffe has said we cannot go back to the "lucky dip" of taxis before deregulation.

He continued: “There was a lot of noise made earlier this year about the Cost of Motor Insurance Working Group recommendations. While the rise in premium prices for motorists has slowed, the same cannot be said for those in need of commercial, taxi insurance.

“We cannot go back to the time when getting a taxi was a lucky dip on a weekend night. It’s bad for everyone, and it, unfortunately, can lead to people’s personal safety being put at risk if they are forced to walk home.

“It might be not the most popular thing to say but Ministers D’Arcy and Donohoe need to do more for taxi drivers, and ensure that they aren’t forced out of the business because of market-restricting premium prices.

“Dubliners need a functioning taxi industry. It cannot become a luxury like it was in the past. It’s a core requirement for a modern, open, European capital city."

source: http://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-ne ... s-13858217

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

And I thought the deregulation that happened many years ago caused Dublin to fall off the earth?

And if insurance is so expensive then that’s for a reason, I.e. iffy drivers.

Of course they could adjust the fares to take into account the increase in insurance premiums, but maybe that’s too obvious.

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IDFIMH