Council approves increase in taxi fares, removal of baggage charge

Dublin City Council last night approved a new taxi fare structure which would increase fares by 10.8 per cent, but would remove an "additional baggage charge" of 40 pence per bag.

In order to take effect, the new structure requires the approval of all four local authorities in Co Dublin. Fingal County Council must approve the measures at its meeting scheduled for July 2nd.

South Dublin and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Councils already approved the measures.

Under the new structure, charges of an extra 40 pence for work after 8 p.m. and 80 pence for work after midnight would remain.

The increase would apply to the pick-up charge, currently set at £1.90. This applies when a passenger picks up the taxi regardless of whether it is at a rank or called out.

As a result, taxi drivers are calling for responsibility for the taxi service in Dublin to be removed from the control of local authorities.

Drivers' unions claimed taxis at ferry ports and Dublin Airport would earn less per trip as a result of the loss of the baggage charge.

Speaking after the council meeting last night, Mr John Ussher of the Irish Taxi Drivers' Federation said the new structures, if approved by all four authorities, could lead to another strike by drivers.

"We are very unhappy. We applied for a fare increase and they have changed the fare structure to make the 3,000 drivers who are permit holders for the airport rank effectively worse off. This power should be taken away from the councillors, they don't understand the business."

Mr Tommy Gorman of the National Taxi Drivers' Union also called for the power to control charges to be removed from local authorities.

"What happened tonight is terrible. There are 130 councillors and they don't know our business. It is not right that the livelihoods of so many people are in their hands.

"There has been a 60-year tradition of charges at the ports and given the issues regarding deregulation it is a very emotional time to further reduce drivers' incomes."

A Dublin Corporation spokesman said members had simply decided to accept the recommendations of the joint local authority committee on taxis.