There are now significantly fewer taxis available in Ireland than there were nearly two decades ago.
Since 2008, Ireland’s population has grown by almost a quarter, while the number of licensed taxis, hackneys and limousines has reduced by about the same amount. This means that for every person in the country, there are now almost 40 per cent fewer taxis available for hire, and this is having a real impact on consumers.
A recent survey commissioned by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) found that 57 per cent of respondents, who expressed an opinion, believe there were not enough taxis in their area. For the 43 per cent who believe there are enough taxis, this number varies greatly by geography. Four in 10 of those who tried to get a taxi in December 2025 reported problems like long wait times or no availability. This data underscores the real-world implications of a decreasing taxi supply on both our economy and community life. The decline has occurred alongside a broader failure to facilitate the kind of innovation that has flourished in other countries.
Why have ride-hailing services like Uber and Bolt not entered the Irish market in the way they have in other countries?
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Uber currently operates in Dublin, but regulations mean it can only act as a booking agent for licensed taxi drivers (Uber Taxi) rather than a ride-sharing service. How low must supply fall before we seriously consider reform? Removing regulatory barriers to facilitate the entry of these ride-hailing services, would significantly improve the consumer experience.
In practice, that means letting drivers, who are regulated for safety and service but aren’t licensed taxi drivers, use their own cars to provide rides. This would not mean abandoning oversight. It is about giving consumers more choice without compromising safety.
Nearly half of taxi users (49 per cent) said they would like the option to choose ride-hailing services. This is a model familiar to many who have travelled abroad and would expand consumer choice and inject much-needed competition into a market long defined by the status quo. Other countries have shown that markets like ours can work better. France, Estonia, Portugal and the United Kingdom are some of the countries which allow a mix of traditional taxis and ride-hailing services.
We need to recognise where well-intentioned regulation has had unintended consequences. For example, ensuring that people who use wheelchairs have access to suitable transport must remain a core regulatory objective, and I strongly support this. But the current regime requires new drivers to buy far more expensive wheelchair-accessible vehicles, while existing licence holders can replace their old vehicles with standard models.
This blunt instrument is a big barrier for new taxi drivers and plays a key role in the lack of ride-hailing services in Ireland, reducing availability for everyone, including wheelchair users. I believe there is a clear opportunity for reform to deliver a competitive market along with strong levels of consumer protection.
[ How to fix Ireland’s taxi challengesOpens in new window ]
Inaction has consequences. Our night-time economy relies on people feeling confident that they can get home.
Across many cities and towns, taxis are not available when they are needed. This can be a minor inconvenience or it can be an economic, societal and public safety issue. Allowing alternative pricing models and more supply will also allow price competition. Consumers should have a choice of traditional meter-based pricing offered by taxis and fixed or the demand-based pricing typically offered by the likes of Uber and Bolt. Alternative fare pricing models also encourage more drivers to operate during busier periods, ensuring that supply keeps pace with demand.
I know not everyone will welcome this change. In December 2025, there were protests by taxi drivers in response to the introduction of a fixed-price fare option by Uber. This was not a proposal to facilitate entry of ride-hailing services into the market, but simply an attempt to offer passengers the certainty of knowing their fares in advance and the possibility of receiving a discount on metered fares when using a taxi. While this was perceived by some in the industry as a threat to the traditional metered system, consumers saw it differently. Many viewed it as a positive and practical improvement.
Our survey found that 60 per cent of people support the introduction of fixed fares. The strength of the reaction to this relatively limited change, particularly when compared to other markets, highlights the level of resistance that more meaningful proposals, such as reforming regulations to facilitate the entry of ride-hailing services, are likely to encounter.
But this resistance cannot, on its own, justify blocking innovation or stifling competition. Policy decisions must be guided by what delivers the best outcomes for the public.
Ireland has faced this question before. In 1998, the CCPC’s predecessor, the Competition Authority, called for the liberalisation of the taxi sector and an end to the cap on taxi numbers. This was controversial at the time and met significant protests from within the industry. But when the High Court ruled in 2000 that limiting new taxi licences was contrary to the public interest, the government responded by deregulating the sector. In the eight years that followed, the number of taxis and similar vehicles doubled. Ireland’s taxi market became significantly more competitive, and consumers benefited almost immediately with reduced wait times.
[ Taxi industry turning into ‘wild west’ as tech firms seek to take over, TDs hearOpens in new window ]
Unfortunately, in the years since, the Irish taxi sector has failed to meet both rising demand and the evolving expectations of consumers. But the lessons from 2000 remain true: bold reform, focused on enhancing competition, can deliver huge benefits to consumers. We can do it again.
Ireland prides itself on innovation and being open for business. We should not accept a broken market that fails to adequately serve the public. Instead, we must give consumers the choice, reliability and fairness they deserve. Opening the taxi market to competition is not a leap into the unknown. It is a return to the principles that have served us well before. Two decades ago, we embraced reform. The Government, with its renewed focus on competitiveness, has the opportunity to do so again. Irish consumers are, quite literally, waiting for action. Let’s not keep them waiting any longer.
Brian McHugh is chair of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC)
