This week’s protests by Dublin taxi drivers were modest by international standards, but the slow-moving convoys that clogged parts of the capital did what they were designed to do: draw attention to the latest dispute between operators of small public service vehicles (SPSVs) and Uber, the US-based company that has spent a decade trying to bend taxi markets across the world to its own model.
They do things differently in France. Earlier this year, taxi drivers in Paris and other major cities set fires, blocked airports and attacked vehicles. Their frustration centred on what they saw as unfair competition from a cheaper ride-hailing service that undercut licensed operators.
Ireland has avoided that level of confrontation, largely because the National Transport Authority (NTA) ruled in 2017 that apps could only dispatch licensed SPSVs, preventing the unchecked spread of private-car rides seen elsewhere.
Even so, suspicion of Uber has never gone away. Drivers point to the company’s global record of aggressive lobbying and regulatory pushback, and many believe its long-term aim is to weaken the traditional, metered system that governs their livelihoods. This month’s dispute over fixed fares has revived those fears.
RM Block
Uber’s new feature allows passengers to see a set price before the journey begins. For customers, it is a simple improvement that offers certainty in the event of heavy traffic or diversions. For drivers, it chips away at the meter on which the regulated system depends. Many believe it is the first step toward a price war that the current regulatory framework was designed to prevent.
The NTA has said it has no role to play provided the fare charged does not exceed the meter. Drivers want the Government to go and amend regulations to prohibit fixed fares outright.
Dublin is not Paris. But the dispute shows that even within Ireland’s tighter rules, Uber’s attempts at disruption are still contentious. The coming weeks will test whether regulators believe the existing framework is robust enough to withstand these new pressures.
