Taxi numbers in Cavan fall by over 50 in a decade

County Cavan has 52 less taxis than it did a decade ago, according to a recent report.

In Cavan, there are currently approximately 108 taxis in operation down from 160 ten years ago. Between 2016 and 2022 alone, the population of the county grew by almost 3,000.

The company Insuremytaxi.ie compiled the report from National Transport Authority (NTA), and say that the taxi shortage is being experienced across the country, with running costs making participating in the occupation a challenge for many would-be taxi drivers.

The company believes high insurance costs have contributed to the fact that many drivers have left the business and have acted as a disincentive for new drivers to come in.

Speaking of the decrease in taxis against the increase in population in Cavan, Jonathan Hehir, MD of Insuremytaxi.ie explained, “This has a negative knock-on effect on both our hospitality and tourism industry. Being left stranded late at night because of a shortage of taxi drivers, particularly at busy times like Christmas or after concerts or festivals, is not a good selling point.

"The shortage of taxis in rural areas is a perennial problem, particularly in isolated rural areas where the cost of providing taxis is often a major obstacle. A better-resourced rural taxi service could help combat social isolation in rural areas, particularly for the elderly.

"The implications of an under-serviced public are wide-ranging – of course, there’s the public safety element for people who cannot get home late at night. Unfortunately, drink-driving is also an issue. Not having a dependable means of transportation home may well entice people to break the rules around drink-driving.

"In addition, for the tourists arriving in this country, often their first experience is an hour-long wait for taxis at airports and train stations. This isn’t acceptable. There simply aren’t enough taxis on the roads.

"We believe our new low-cost insurance will encourage more people to apply for a taxi licence at a time when there is such a shortage of them and hopefully improve the taxi experience for locals and tourists alike. However, the Government also needs to take action to alleviate taxi shortages."

Mr Hehir is calling on the Government to provide more incentives for young people to enter the taxi business and to address the high insurance costs they often face.

“We would like to see young and middle-aged drivers entering the industry at a much earlier stage if that’s what they would like to do. With younger drivers struggling to secure insurance at affordable levels, it’s no surprise that recent figures show that a quarter (23pc) of all taxi drivers are now aged over 66 and 15pc are over 70[6]. The Government needs more young blood in this sector if it wants this country to have a sustainable and well-resourced taxi service. Otherwise, the taxi shortages currently being experienced by so many will only get worse”.