Calls for taxi rank in Nenagh

Calls have been made for the provision of a taxi rank in Nenagh to help people get home after socialising in the town.

At last week's meeting of Nenagh Municipal District, several councillors agreed that there is a need for a late night transport service to bring people home to the town's hinterland.

Raising the subject, Cllr Joe Hannigan pointed out that there are no taxis operating in the area and many people find it very difficult to get a hackney after 11 or 12 at night. He said many people cannot understand why a town the size of Nenagh does not have a taxi rank. Cllr Hannigan suggested changing the private-hire/pre-book hackney licenses to a taxi system with an allocated area in the town.

In agreement was Cllr Ger Darcy, who said people not being able to get home after a night out in Nenagh is a “huge problem for the town”. It is one of the big “turn-offs” for people that do want to come in to the town to socialise.

TOO MANY LICENSES

Cllr Darcy spoke of trying to get a hackney licence for a local driver in recent years. Despite the help of the local council, it proved an impossible task because there were too many active hackney licenses in the area and the National Transport Authority would not agree to another one. Cllr Darcy said the problem is that many of these hackney drivers are no longer operating, or they are not operating at the times they are needed, yet it is not possible for new drivers to get a licence.

Cllr Fiona Bonfield also spoke of difficulties with trying to get a hackney licence for a local driver. It is easier to get a taxi licence, but the investment required is “massive”.

Cllr Hughie McGrath said it would be a difficult to find a solution to the problem. Some hackney drivers are opposed to new licenses being issued, as this might “flood the market” and result in a drop in overall income, he warned.

Most drivers are quiet during the week; the weekend is the busy time. But once a hackney driver becomes established in an area, the driver can decide whether or not they want to work on certain night, and if they don't work, people are left without a transport option. Cllr McGrath wondered if there was a hackney representative group that the council could discuss the problem with.

District Administrator Rosemary Joyce pointed out that the council has hopes of creating a transport hub at Nenagh Railway Station. It was previously suggested that this would make a good location for a taxi rank, she said.

Director Marcus O'Connor said hackney and taxi licences are governed by the NTA, which recently trialed a local service to help people attend the likes of medical appointments. This was supported by the local authority, and the need for such a service had to be established.

Mr O'Connor agreed that late-night availability is an issue, but he added that no one has approached the council looking for a taxi rank. He also spoke of the costs and requirements involved in getting a taxi licence.

“We've no difficulty with designating a taxi rank, but have we any taxis to put in it?” Mr O'Connor asked.

Cllr Hannigan insisted that there is demand for such a facility. People are not going to Nenagh socialise because they cannot get home.

"It's a bit of a joke that we don't have a taxi rank in a town the size of Nenagh," he exclaimed.

Cllr Hannigan also spoke of people paying to renew their hackney licence but not using it because they "get sick of" the work.

‘ATTRITIONAL JOB’

Cllr Séamie Morris described taxi or hackney driving as a “highly attritional job”. Drivers are often subjected to abuse and have their vehicles dirtied or damaged by late night passengers. He thanked the drivers that are working locally and doubted there would be many more wanting to get involved.

Mr O'Connor reiterated that the council would facilitate a taxi rank if there is an established demand. He said there is a transport representative familiar with local services, whom the local authority would invite to its next meeting.