The Government's pre-Christmas present of a deregulated taxi service seems to be going down a treat with the punters.
Dublin's taxi users said they were "excited", "happy" and "delighted" at the prospect of more taxis on the streets. However, this was tempered by a certain amount of sympathy for the plight of taxi drivers who had paid large sums of money for licences.
The sun was shining on Dublin's Grafton Street yesterday afternoon but memories of miserable rainy nights waiting to get home still rankled with many.
Mr Mike Hoban, who moved to Dublin six weeks ago, said: "After living in Liverpool where you can get a taxi anytime, it's a complete nightmare here. It's not just a weekend problem, you can't get taxis during the week . . . deregulation would be fantastic." Ms Mary Farrell from Templeogue, said: "It's brilliant. There obviously aren't enough taxis . . . I have a teenage son and it'd be great if he could get home, by taxi, late at night. He has often had to walk."
She reckoned taxi drivers, who are protesting at deregulation, were just "trying to keep the gates closed" on a good business.
Mr Joe Harrington, of Sandymount, said he was delighted at the prospect of more taxis but he would "only believe it when I see it . . . I have problems waiting for taxis all the time, more taxis would make business boom, I'd use them five times as much . . . if only I could get them."
A Mount Merrion commuter said the lack of taxis meant he did not come into town at night. "I'm glad it's been deregulated. It should have been sorted out a lot earlier. I think the taxi drivers have a case [for compensation] if they paid out £70,000 recently."
A bystander was less sympathetic, commenting that when you went into business you took risks and you could not expect the Government to compensate everyone.
An Australian tourist, Mr Simon Kahl, had spent 2-1/2 hours waiting for a taxi on O'Connell Street on Friday night. He finally got one at 4.30 a.m. "There should be more taxis and more ranks."
Ms Linda Graham, who was waiting for her parents, said she was happy there would be more taxis on the streets coming up to Christmas. But what she'd really like would be an underground transport system. How about it, Santa?