Consultation on Maximum Taxi Fares gets Under Way

24 September 2019

 

Card payment in all taxis among NTA proposals

Paying by card for your cab will soon be standard as the National Transport Authority (NTA) announces plans to require card payment facilities in all taxis.

The proposal is among those contained in the National Maximum Taxi Fare Review Report 2019 published today.

Taxis will be brought into line with just about every service, as card payments are now the norm in shops, supermarkets and restaurants across the country.

The report examines the cost of running a taxi service today compared to 2017, when the last fare review was undertaken.

Strong economic growth, falling unemployment levels and increased consumer spending have all had positive implications for the taxi industry over the past two years.

NTA estimates that the cost of operating a taxi has increased by about 4 percent since 2017. Our proposal for an increase in maximum fares of 4.5% covers both this increase and the cost associated with the provision of card payment.

Any changes would take effect next year.

Anne Graham, CEO of the National Transport Authority, said:

“As it does approximately every two years, the NTA has recently undertaken a survey of taxi drivers and passengers to review costs of operation.

In our 2019 Taxi User Survey, forty per cent of all adults surveyed reported that they had used a taxi in the previous six months.

Almost three quarters of the public (71%) agree that taxis generally provide a good service, while half of all surveyed agree that overall, taxis are generally good value for money. Introducing the card payment option will make taxis even more accessible and simpler to use for all passengers.

With the potential fare increases in mind, we are now inviting the public to make submissions and let their views be heard on the proposed changes.”

The public consultation is open until Tuesday, 29 October 2019, and the matter will then be considered by the NTA.

For more information please see the consultations section of our website.