DUN Laoghaire Rathdown Council is to investigate forming its own taxi meter area. This follows the collapse of talks between the four Dublin local authorities on the issuing of new taxi licences for thee capital.
After five months of negotiations between the authorities on the number of new licences to be issued, negotiations broke down last week amid allegations from Dun Laoghaire Rathdown councillors that Dublin Corporation was dragging its heels on the matter.
The negotiating committee is made up of officials and elected representatives of Dublin South, Fingal, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown and Dublin Borough authorities. A feature of the discussions was the introduction of special licences for wheelchair accessible taxis. New licences for hackney cabs were also being discussed. It had already been conceded that none of the new licences would be issued in time for Christmas.
Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday, a Dun Laoghaire Rathdown councillor, Ms Olivia Mitchell (FG), said the authority had "no option" but to investigate forming its own taxi meter area.
"Our obligation is to one million potential customers, not to sustaining the existing cartel. Dublin Corporation has not budged an inch on the single most important issue, the number of plates to be issued," she said.
She also criticised a proposal for the issuing of 100 new plates as it "would make no impact whatsoever". "If the Dublin traffic chaos is ever to be solved, then a reasonably priced, efficient and readily available taxi service is a necessary adjunct to the public transport system."