Taxi numbers have fallen in 23 of 26 counties since 2019

New figures show that the number of taxi licences in operation has fallen in nearly every county across the country over the past five years.

In 23 of the 26 counties the number of licences is lower today than it was in 2019, with the national total down 3.5%.

The figures show there were 26,360 taxis operating in 2023, a decrease of 1,033 from 27,393 in 2019.

The reduction in taxi licence numbers is most acute in the border region, where there has been a 17% decrease over the time period.

The South East region as a whole has seen shortages in the sector by over 11%, leading to criticism of current Small Public Service Vehicles (SPSV) policy.

The stats raise concerns for both locals and visitors to the area, especially as we head for the summer months. CEO of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, Adrian Cummins, notes; “The significant decrease in taxi availability is a crippling blow to rural Ireland’s hospitality sector.”

“These businesses often rely on taxis to get customers home safely, especially after dark. With little to no public transport links in rural areas and without a vital taxi service, many people simply won’t go out, further squeezing already strained rural businesses. The Government needs to take immediate action to address this issue before it cripples the entire industry entirely.”

The Taxis for Ireland Coalition is calling on the NTA and the Government to take immediate action to address the shortage of taxis. They propose a 30% increase in taxi vehicles by 2027 as a step towards alleviating the impact of driver and vehicle number decrease over the past decade, coupled with Ireland’s population growth.