Taxi Fares

noelma

We have Halo, Lynk, and all manor of other numbers to call, but we're still paying huge money for taxis.
A common complaint - by the drivers - is that there are too many, and it's hard to make a living.
But it seems to me that when prices are high, eventually people only take a taxi when they absolutely have to!
If fares were more modest - especially the fixed price before even moving - then I think there would be much more interest.
When traveling in other places - Glasgow, Manchester, almost anywhere in Spain or France - taxis are much more affordable and as a result people hop into them without even considering the fare!
Just now I've had to pay €40 for a trip Dundrum/Dublin Airport - yes, via M50! - but this cost me €28 less than one year ago! 43% increase.

L1011

noelma wrote: »

Just now I've had to pay €40 for a trip Dundrum/Dublin Airport - yes, via M50! - but this cost me €28 less than one year ago! 43% increase.

Either at a different time of day, a vastly different route or with massive delays as the fares did not increase by anywhere close to that amount.

If you claim it wasn't in any way different, you're misremembering last years price plain and simple.

noelma

You may be right that fares did not generally increase by that amount - I assume the regulator would have had something to say about that.
The trip I am talking about is a flat rate fare - not dependent on traffic/time.
But I only gave that as an example. My point is more general.
Are people generally happy with Taxi fares then?

Dubwat

We have Halo, Lynk, and all manor of other numbers to call, but we're still paying huge money for taxis.

If you knew about these options, why didn't you phone/e-hail them in advance?

http://www.transportforireland.ie/taxi/taxi-fare-estimator/
The "Taxi Regulator" has an official website that calculates taxi fares. "Main St", Dundrum to the Airport is approx €40-€50 daytime for 1 passenger. Sounds like you got a good deal both times?

joebloggs32

I'm just back from Australia where the Uber service has taken off. I don't know fully the legality of how Uber operates, but a general rule of thumb was that journeys with Huber worked out at about half that of a taxi.

L1011

joebloggs32 wrote: »

I'm just back from Australia where the Uber service has taken off. I don't know fully the legality of how Uber operates, but a general rule of thumb was that journeys with Huber worked out at about half that of a taxi.

Uber with unlicensed drivers is basically illegal everywhere. Here they have to charge the set fares or less and be licenced, or be legit hackneys / limos which have always existed. Far less savings with insured taxis than with uninsured chancers that Uber uses in other markets

TallGlass

I wonder if taxis are the problem a big problem I see sometimes with buses and taxis if 3/4 people are pool into a taxi it often works out cheaper than getting the bus.

delahuntv

noelma wrote: »

When traveling in other places - Glasgow, Manchester, almost anywhere in Spain or France - taxis are much more affordable and as a result people hop into them without even considering the fare!
Just now I've had to pay €40 for a trip Dundrum/Dublin Airport - yes, via M50! - but this cost me €28 less than one year ago! 43% increase.

Sorry, but taxi prices in Manchester are higher than Dublin. Manchester €3.40 for 1st 500m then €1.70 per km. Dublin €3.60 for 1st 500m, then €1.10/km

Glasgow is about the same as Dublin, - Min charge €6.30, but up to 2 miles. (3.2km), then €2 per mile (1.25/km)

A quick google sees costs in spain from €1.05/km to €1.85/km with minimum charges from €2 to €4. France a little higher. So prices here are on the lower side of both countries.

Also, I used to live in Dundrum - even back then (over 10 years ago) it was €35 minimum to the Airport.

Dr_Bill

There hasn't been a 43% increase in Taxi fares that's for sure. If your trip was on a Sunday or between 8pm and 8am you will pay at the higher premium rate.

For example if you take a Taxi from Glasgow Airport to the city centre you will pay a flat fee of £25 (€35) the same journey using Hailo is €20 or £13.80 for Dublin Airport to the city centre for a similar journey.

Sounds like at €40 you got a good deal at least according to this

To be honest I don't think we get bad value for money, I would much prefer a good safe, clean & comfortable car to sit in with a licensed and properly insured driver.

The alternative is potentially a poorly maintained vehicle to save costs, no public liability insurance so if a passenger is involved in an accident and suffers potentially life changing injuries has inadequate recourse.

Sure there is room for improvement within the taxi industry and I dislike GPS taxi drivers as much as the next punter but if you use a reliable & reputable taxi company your much less likely to encounter any issues.

If you have an issue with a taxi driver you can lodge a complaint here:

http://www.transportforireland.ie/taxi/taxi-compliments-complaints/

corkonion

Hers what a 3km taxi journey cost in different places in 2011, Irish taxi fares have only increased by 4% since 2008.

$11.48 – $14.75 London, England
$11.59 – $15.94 Berlin, Germany
$11.59 – $17.39 Munich, Germany
$11.59 – $17.39 Dublin, Ireland
$12.64 – $15.66 Tokyo, Japan
$12.92 – $16.16 Stockholm, Sweden
$13.04 – $17.39 Nice, France
$14.06 – $20.29 Helsinki, Finland
$14.49 – $14.49 Amsterdam, Netherlands
$15.94 – $20.29 Monaco, Monaco
$18.62 – $24.21 Oslo, Norway
$20.22 – $26.97 Zurich, Switzerland


I think we get fair value for instant transport, there are other options if you want a lower cost service ie bus, train etc

suave.4u

corkonion wrote: »

Hers what a 3km taxi journey cost in different places in 2011, Irish taxi fares have only increased by 4% since 2008.

$11.48 – $14.75 London, England
$11.59 – $15.94 Berlin, Germany
$11.59 – $17.39 Munich, Germany
$11.59 – $17.39 Dublin, Ireland
$12.64 – $15.66 Tokyo, Japan
$12.92 – $16.16 Stockholm, Sweden
$13.04 – $17.39 Nice, France
$14.06 – $20.29 Helsinki, Finland
$14.49 – $14.49 Amsterdam, Netherlands
$15.94 – $20.29 Monaco, Monaco
$18.62 – $24.21 Oslo, Norway
$20.22 – $26.97 Zurich, Switzerland


I think we get fair value for instant transport, there are other options if you want a lower cost service ie bus, train etc

Are you for real? Trip from Citywest to Airport =55 euros taxi
Dublin to London flight = 25 EUR

Is this fair value for you?

flyingsnail

suave.4u wrote: »

Are you for real? Trip from Citywest to Airport =55 euros taxi
Dublin to London flight = 25 EUR

Is this fair value for you?

Taxi for one person, flight for 200 people. How much for a flight for just yourself to London?

PolaroidPizza

instead of asking why the taxi-fares are higher than other European countries, why don't they ask why petrol, road tax and insurance is higher than in other countries.

Amirani

corkonion wrote: »

Hers what a 3km taxi journey cost in different places in 2011, Irish taxi fares have only increased by 4% since 2008.

$11.48 – $14.75 London, England
$11.59 – $15.94 Berlin, Germany
$11.59 – $17.39 Munich, Germany
$11.59 – $17.39 Dublin, Ireland
$12.64 – $15.66 Tokyo, Japan
$12.92 – $16.16 Stockholm, Sweden
$13.04 – $17.39 Nice, France
$14.06 – $20.29 Helsinki, Finland
$14.49 – $14.49 Amsterdam, Netherlands
$15.94 – $20.29 Monaco, Monaco
$18.62 – $24.21 Oslo, Norway
$20.22 – $26.97 Zurich, Switzerland


I think we get fair value for instant transport, there are other options if you want a lower cost service ie bus, train etc

While the taxi prices seem reasonable relative to other countries, the key thing is that there isn't really other options if you want a lower cost service. The majority of those cities listed above have 24hr public transport services, using a variety of different forms of transport that are well integrated across the network. Dublin just doesn't have anything close to that.

L1011

suave.4u wrote: »

Are you for real? Trip from Citywest to Airport =55 euros taxi
Dublin to London flight = 25 EUR

Is this fair value for you?

Promotional, loss leader fare.

Lucena

suave.4u wrote: »

Are you for real? Trip from Citywest to Airport =55 euros taxi
Dublin to London flight = 25 EUR

Is this fair value for you?

Well, if you're going to cherry-pick figures. There's no way the average flight to London is 25 EUR.

Also, living in France (not Paris) I can tell you that taxis are way more expensive here. No-one would ever dream of getting a taxi to go out for the night or head home after a few jars, taxis are for when you are completely and absolutely stuck.

bpmurray

Just back from Amsterdam where we were in a hotel about 4km from the city centre. The cost of a taxi was €25-€30 each way. So Irish taxis are quite reasonable by comparison.

delahuntv

PolaroidPizza wrote: »

instead of asking why the taxi-fares are higher than other European countries, why don't they ask why petrol, road tax and insurance is higher than in other countries.

Petrol/diesel not far off average and SUBSTANTIALLY lower than UK

Insurance - up to recently was extremely cheap in comparison to other countries especially UK and now is about average but still way cheaper than uk. It was being sold below cost and got a few insurance companies in trouble.

Road tax - old polluting cars are expensive, but newer cars are about €200/year to tax. Thats fairly average.


But sure why let verifiable facts get in the way if a whinge?

keithclancy

delahuntv wrote: »

Petrol/diesel not far off average and SUBSTANTIALLY lower than UK

Insurance - up to recently was extremely cheap in comparison to other countries especially UK and now is about average but still way cheaper than uk. It was being sold below cost and got a few insurance companies in trouble.

Road tax - old polluting cars are expensive, but newer cars are about €200/year to tax. Thats fairly average.


But sure why let verifiable facts get in the way if a whinge?

They don't have VRT in the UK

PolaroidPizza

keithclancy wrote: »

They don't have VRT in the UK

yes, compare our car insurance prices and petrol with the UK...the most expensive car insurance market in the EU and because of the way sterling has gone, the most expensive petrol in the EU.

Sure if we're not as bad as the UK, then we must be reasonably priced.... because the UK is the only place in the world we really should compare ourselves to.

and by the way, the average age of a car in Ireland is 9 years...so that's very high road tax for the average car owner.

plus, as others have notices, theres only 8 countries in Europe with VRT, and only a few of those have higher rates than ours, we are also nowhere near the bottom of the ladder on VAT.
plus the NCT charge is not mandatory in every EU country, and out of those who have it, we are not the cheapest on the list.

for a taxi-man, all this adds up. but sure, as long as we're cheaper than the UK its not really a problem, is it.