Taxi industry has to stay competitive - Regulator

The national taxi fare review is taking place during a "difficult time for the industry" according to the Commissioner for Taxi Regulation Kathleen Doyle. Ms Doyle was in Athlone yesterday (Tuesday) to meet with taxi drivers as part of the public consultation process on the national maximum taxi fare, a review that happens every two years. The review will attempt to strike a balance between keeping prices competitive for customers but also appease drivers who are finding it hard to make a living because of rising fuel prices and too many drivers. "Drivers want a fair return but we also need to stimulate consumer demand," she said, speaking to the Westmeath Independent about the difficulties facing the industry. She mentioned several times that taxi companies and drivers need to encourage people to use taxis more in a bid to boost the industry during the recession, because despite the much-publicised problems faced by many drivers, there is no guarantee that a fare increase would help the industry. "Although income has dropped, if we increase prices we won't meet consumer demand - but we may very well not need an increase," she added, meaning that if other operating costs, such as insurance or repairs, have decreased, then that too benefits drivers. Ms Doyle urged taxi drivers to be competitive, while at the same time building up a loyal clientele. "It has to be remembered that it's a maximum fare. Drivers can offer discounts at their discretion, especially for their regular clients. They could give a discount, bring the fare down from €22 to €20, or have no booking fee," she suggested. A regular complaint from drivers is that there are too many taxis in operation around Athlone and point to a packed rank on Church Street to back up their claims. However, Ms Doyle said that this was no longer the case. "The actual amount of taxis has decreased since 2008. The maximum peak was reached in the middle of 2008. The number of taxis has decreased since 2008 and the number of drivers is also down, for a number of reasons. The number of new entrants since then has also decreased," she said. "I would say don't make a casual decision about entering the market now." According to the most recent statistics from April 2010, there were 388 licensed vehicles in Co. Westmeath. Of these, there were 274 taxis, 56 hackneys, 40 wheelchair accessible vehicles and 18 limousines. Local operators say there's around 60 full-time drivers working in Athlone. Ms Doyle added that the Commission cannot prevent part-time drivers from entering the market. A requirement that drivers had to work at least 38 hours a week was dropped because of fears the requirement discriminated against people who wanted to work part-time. Many taxi drivers in Athlone also complain that they have to sit a street knowledge test of Mullingar, but Ms Doyle said that it's not something that can be changed. She said that originally the licences were issued by Gardaí as per Garda division, so drivers used to get a licence for Longford-Westmeath, however it then switched to a per county basis. "They get their licence for the whole county, it's not just for Athlone," she emphasised. After the last review, Ms Doyle decided to increase the fare by 8.3% in November 2008, even though the stakeholders wanted a fare increase of between 15 to 25%. But the commissioner took the taxi cost index into account, which looks not just at fuel prices, but also other operational costs such as insurance and repairs. "The overall costs had gone up by 8.3%, so the same applied to the fare, but at the time the increase was around the same as the increase in bus and train fares," she explained. She said that because this new review is only beginning, she has yet to get a feel for what the stakeholders and the public want from the taxi industry this time around. The maximum fare can increase, decrease or remain at the current price. After the consultation process ends, Ms Doyle will be involved with further discussions with other groups such as the tourist board, the Gardaí, the RSA, disability rights' groups along with an Advisory Council. From these discussions, as well as the taxi cost index, she will then make her final decision. Ms Doyle urged taxi users, drivers and other interested parties to log on to www.taxiregulator.ie, where you can have your say in this national maximum fare review. Submissions can be made on-line or downloaded and posted directly to the Commission. A submission pack can also be ordered by ringing the Commission at 01 6593800. The deadline for the receipt of submissions is August 16.