The most recent authoritative survey of Dublin taxi services is set out in the report Review of Taxi and Hackney Carriage Service in the Dublin Area, by Oscar Faber consultants, June 1998. This estimated that there was a shortfall in taxi supply equivalent to over 2,200 in 1998 and that this would increase to some 3,500 by 2008. These estimates, compounded by strong growth in the national and Dublin economies, form the background to the Government's recent initiative on Dublin taxi numbers.
The measures announced by the Government involve the offer of one additional taxi or wheelchair accessible taxi licence to each individual who held a licence in the Dublin taximeter area at end 1999, as well as 500 further licences to be granted to applicants under the current points assessment system. Arrangements for the allocation of licences to existing licence holders are now under way. Applications have been invited by Dublin Corporation for submission by 18 February 2000.
With effect from the issue of offers by Dublin Corporation to these applicants for the grant of licences, a period of four months will be allowed in the case of an ordinary taxi licence and six months in the case of a wheelchair accessible taxi licence, in order to finalise the uptake of licences by applicants. I have carried out extensive discussions with a range of representative groups from the Dublin taxi industry regarding these and other arrangements involved.
As regards a long-term plan for transport in Dublin, the Dublin Transportation Office are currently finalising a major updating of the present Dublin transport initiative strategy. This will focus on developing the best solutions for responding to and managing transport demand in the Dublin region over the period 2000-2016, using all appropriate transport modes.
