Plans to hold a series of massive rolling taxi protests over fixed fares introduced by Uber, which promised major disruption in Dublin, have been suspended.
In a statement on Friday afternoon, Taxi Drivers Ireland said that they had decided to suspend the planned six day action and associated protests ahead of talks next week.
Government sources said minister for transport Darragh O’Brien will be out of the country next week, and that meetings were scheduled to take place between the NTA and departmental officials. Sources on the taxi side insisted the industry would be represented, however.
“Taxi drivers have confirmed they are suspending further escalation of protest action pending the outcome of a meeting at Government Buildings scheduled for next week,” the group said in a statement.
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“They have also informed An Garda Síochána that all protest activity will be paused while engagement with Government takes place.”
A spokesperson said: “We are acting in good faith. Pending the outcome of next week’s meeting, we have suspended further protest action and hope meaningful progress will be made on the issues facing taxi drivers.”
The suspension is temporary and subject to the outcome of the meeting, the group said.
Drivers maintain that new fixed rates introduced on the taxi app are sometimes a third of what they would receive under a metered fare, and have said they will “not quietly accept the destruction of our livelihoods”.
The group had claimed the Government had “chosen silence instead of responsibility”.
Where and when are taxi drivers planning to protest in Dublin?
In Dublin, the group had pledged to stage a protest from 7am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, during which drivers were to proceed in convoy from Mountjoy Square to Merrion Square and “remain parked until 5pm”.
On Tuesday and Thursday, the group planned a protest near Dublin Airport at rush hour between 4.30pm and 7.30pm, saying it would target “all holding areas and access locations outside of airport grounds”.
A similar protest had been planned at Dublin Airport on Saturday from 4pm to 6pm, to be followed by a “rolling convoy” from the north and south into the city centre, entering Dame Street for a “slow rolling protest”, the group said.
A spokesperson for the National Transport Authority told The Irish Times that the Minister for Transport “has contacted the NTA on this matter and has requested it to clarify the regulatory position”.
“To protect passengers, the NTA sets a maximum taxi fare that drivers can charge passengers for their journeys. The current maximum taxi fare order can be found here,” the NTA spokesperson said.
“Charging in excess of this maximum fare can lead to a prosecution. Charging below the maximum fare is permitted.
The spokesperson said the NTA had no role in overseeing “commercial or contractual arrangements” between taxi drivers and dispatch operators.
“Taxi drivers are not obliged to be affiliated with a dispatch operator in Ireland. Where they choose to do so, taxi drivers are free to engage with any dispatch operator.”
A spokeswoman for the Minister for Transport said he is not involved in the day to day operations of that sector, but confirmed he had written to the NTA seeking clarity.
“The Minister has now received a response to his letter and has instructed senior officials in his department to meet with the NTA to discuss the response and the role of dispatch operators in the context of a robust regulatory framework,” the spokeswoman said.
Under the system introduced at the start of this month, a customer booking a taxi journey through Uber is shown a projected range of metered prices for the trip, along with a fixed option which they can choose to take at the time of booking.
An Uber spokesman told The Irish Times last week that potential passengers were “much more likely to book a trip if they know what the fare is going to be” and suggested this created “more earning opportunities for drivers”.
The drivers, however, said when there were delays to a journey due to heavy traffic or roadworks, the new system could have a significant effect on their level of income.
