Taxi Driver Online

Review of taxi fares likely to lead to standard rates

Taxi rates in some areas are set to fall in the coming months following suggestions from the commissioner for taxi regulation that some fares were too high.

Ger Deering has also ruled out adding a 50 cent surcharge to fares in compensation for the increase in oil prices, a concession sought by the National Taxi Drivers' Union last week.

Taxi fares until now have been decided separately by each local authority, leading to huge variance in charges around the State.

Mr Deering takes over responsibility next month for setting the fare. He intends to conduct a review of rates and will set a single national charge. "The fares around the country vary so much and fares are too high in some areas.

"I've even had taxi drivers contact me because they thought the fares in their areas were too high." In some counties it was the hiring charge that was too high, he said. This basic charge varies from 90 cents up to €3.75, with the higher charges discouraging customers from using taxis for shorter trips.

"I want to see a fare that first of all is value for money, that encourages use of a taxi particularly for short journeys, while at the same time making it worth people's while supplying the service. In some cases the hiring charge may be far too high. Having a graduated fare based on distance will make it easier to understand and more straightforward to use."

Mr Deering said he could not meet driver's demands to add an extra charge for fuel to the fare because he did not have the legal authority. He added the proposed 50 cent surcharge was not practical anyway.

The taxi drivers' union called for the introduction of the charge last week because of the rapidly rising cost of petrol and diesel. It had hoped the charge would be in place by the middle of next month.

"There's been a lot of talk about a fuel surcharge. There seems to be this notion that I can just shove 50 cents on, I can't," Mr Deering said. "There's a particular process in law that has to be gone through."

To make any change to what drivers charge, the regulator must make a maximum fares order. This involves consulting local authorities, the Taxi Advisory Council and the Legal Metrology Service. There would be a major overhaul of fare structures in early 2006, he said, and fuel costs would be considered.

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IDFIMH

Well at least it should sort out long distance fares.

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/n ... =Eircomnet

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IDFIMH

Yes, as I've said before umpteen times, that was another issue that the OFT and DfT have conveniently ignored.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

we are starting something down here where all the out of town work is being priced up as per meter rate and put on a board by the ranks.
then all cars on firms are going to have a nice little sticker to tell customers that we are going to charge the normal rate.
not the greedy sod rate that some people use.

I wonder if the one fare thing would work.

Our area is next to areas where the fares are much higher. It wasn't long ago that we didn't have set fares and meters.

I'm glad we did change because before it was really cut-throat.

Flyer

One country one fare.
Fuel varies throughout the country, pub prices vary, supermarkets vary, property prices, wages vary it would be impossible to set a country wide rate. Would you set a guaranteed minimum income for each taxi, ensure each area has the same number of railway stations, nightclubs, etc. It cannot be done. Each area must charge what the market will stand. The biggest thing this trade lacks is professionals, we do not market ourselves effectivley. Too many are just scraping by to busy earning a living to make any money, can't think past the next customer that gets in their cab never mind next week, next year, their pension. This is an industry worth many millions run by people that can barley manage their personal hygene.