Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 10 Oct 2002

Vol. 555 No. 1

Written Answers. - Taxi Industry.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

106 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Transport his views on the taxi industry and the service provided in the functional area of the largest taxi licensing authority here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17525/02]

Minister for Transport (Mr. Brennan)

Current regulations provide a basis for taxi licensing that reflects a High Court decision which created the legal position that limitation of taxi licences in the interests of existing licence holders could not be sustained. Since November 2000 there has been a major increase in the number of taxis licensed in all the taximeter areas throughout the country. Figures supplied to the Department by individual licensing authorities indicate that taxi licence numbers nationally had more than doubled from 3,912 at November 2000 to 9,767 at end December 2001. In the case of the Dublin taximeter area, for example, the number of licensed taxis between November 2000 and yesterday increased by 311%.

Dublin City Council, as the largest taxi licensing authority in the country, engaged Goodbody Economic Consultants to carry out a customer service assessment so as to compare current service levels with those obtaining during the last such assessment in 1998 and to identify potential areas for further service improvement.

Their assessment concludes that liberalisation has led to an improved taxi service with greater availability of taxis and reduced waiting times. While there are still a number of problem areas such as the post-midnight and evening peak commuter period, the report indicates that consumers strongly support taxi liberalisation.

In February 2002, a consultation paper relating to the framework for the promotion of qualitative improvements in taxi services and the future regulation of those services was published. Some 83 responses to that paper have been received and are being considered.

An Agreed Programme for Government sets out commitments in relation to taxi services including the appointment of a national regulator for the future regulation of licensing, standards and the quality of service which I am currently proposing.