Taxi drivers to strike on Monday over fares restructuring

Up to 14,000 taxi drivers across the State are due to go off the road for 24 hours from 5am on Monday in protest over planned changes to the industry. Passengers to and from Dublin airport will be particularly hard hit.

A new national taxi fare will come into force in September and extra charges for luggage and a €1.50 hiring charge for picking up passengers at Dublin airport will be abolished.

Drivers who are members of the three main taxi unions - the Taxi Drivers Federation, the National Taxi Drivers Union and Siptu - say taxi regulator Ger Deering has failed to recognise their concerns in relation to the abolition of the charges.

Monday's stoppage is voluntary, but drivers operating out of Dublin airport are likely to participate fully as, according to the unions, they will be hardest hit by the changes.

"Around 2,000 drivers work the airport religiously and they are set to lose about €4,500 a year from the abolition of this charge," National Taxi Drivers Union president Tommy Gorman said. "But they still have to pay the airport authority 70 cents every time they go to the airport, and this is about to go up to €1."

Pickets will be placed at Dublin airport and at taxi ranks across the State. More than 3,000 taxi trips are made to and from the airport each day. Passengers who do not have private transport will have the option of using buses; however, long queues are likely as no extra buses are being made available.

"We are extremely busy at this time of year and it's not possible to get extra capacity out there," a spokeswoman for Dublin Bus said. "The best we can do is monitor the situation and try to get an extra bus if we can on the day."

Dublin Bus has between 15 and 17 dedicated Airlink buses and several suburban bus routes operating between the airport and the city centre. All the buses serving the airport are full during the summer months, even when taxis are running, she said. Aircoach, which runs a private service bringing passengers to and from Dublin city every 10 to 20 minutes, said it would increase the frequency of its service.