Taxi Charge to Maynooth

Bogieman

Hi All,
A colleague of mine arrived in from a long haul flight yesterday afternoon and got a taxi from the airport taxi rank to Maynooth.
He was charged €80 euro and told it was that price because of tolls and because he was going to a different county.
I had a look at the receipt ad it was a generic one with no contact details of the company driver etc..
Was he overcharged? Should he have expected a proper receipt?

ED E

?46.00 to ?58.40
Please note: the above fare is an indicative estimate only and should not be taken as a guaranteed fare.
Distance 34.3 km
No traffic (30 min)
Heavy traffic (55 min)
Above distances and times are approximates only.
No extra charges.

Seems a little high, even after the toll (its only one right?).

Staplor

No surcharge for different county. I reckon a local company would have done it for 50. Seems high to me, just the one toll.

zl1whqvjs75cdy

Yeah that's pretty high. I've gotten taxis for the 50-60 quid range from maynooth to the airport.

n97 mini

Sounds too high. It's around ?40 to Leixlip so add another ?15 or ?20 to that.

FYI, the Airport Hopper bus connects Maynooth and the airport hourly for ?8.

Atlantic Dawn

Transport For Ireland calculator says €46.00 to €58.40

https://www.transportforireland.ie/taxi/taxi-fare-estimator/

donspeekinglesh

60 - 66 is what I've paid on the meter in the past.

Losty Dublin

It is a long auld spin out to Maynooth from the 'Port. I'd have had it closer to the €70 mark but I'm out of the trade a while so that's a guess. Whatever about the receipt (Yeah, you are entitled to a one.) but what did the meter show when they got to their destination?

tnegun

Paid €54.60 last week during the morning rush hour but I asked the driver to use the N3 to avoid traffic and the toll.

FitzElla

€80 seems too high, even for Maynooth. I would have expected about €60. The receipt should have:

1 The receipt number
2 The SPSV licence number
3 The unique vehicle identifier
4 The start date of the trip
5 The distance travelled in kilometres
6 The start and finish time of the trip
7 The amount calculated by the meter (broken down into total fare and extras), and
8 A space highlighted for the manual recording of tips/discounts/tolls

Spanish Eyes

For future reference, if the timings suit, the Airport Hopper operates to Maynooth.

I do realise it depends on times, but might work out at some point. 7.20 euro.

That fare looks quite high, but it is a fair clip out to Maynooth from the airport all the same.

Victor

Between 08:00 and 20:00 (higher at night)

Initial charge €3.60
15 km x 1.10 = 16.50
17.2 km x 1.45 = 24.94
Toll = €3.10
Total = €48.14

+ extra passengers + booking fee if booked

https://www.eflow.ie/help-guidance/faqs/the-m50-toll-road/
https://www.transportforireland.ie/fares/taxi/
https://www.google.ie/maps/dir/maynooth/dublin+airport/@53.3940607,-6.5454217,34511m/am=t/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x4867701e172d3807:0xa00c7a9973211f0!2m2!1d-6.5918499!2d53.3812896!1m5!1m1!1s0x486711be6993192f:0x55121bb5b725f355!2m2!1d-6.2499098!2d53.4264481

n97 mini

tnegun wrote: »

Paid ?54.60 last week during the morning rush hour but I asked the driver to use the N3 to avoid traffic and the toll.

What route? Going off the m50 is longer and slower so it may have been counter productive.

tnegun

Off the M50 at Blanch to the Dunboyne Park and Ride and then Dunboyne road towards Maynooth is 36k home from the Airport, M50 to N4 is 34k so for the sake or 2k and the toll is definitely worth it during rush hour.

LXFlyer

There are also departures on Bus Eireann routes 22 and 23 that are licensed to carry passengers between Maynooth and Dublin Airport.

Ex-Maynooth (67 terminus): 03:50, 04:05, 18:45 and 20:30

Ex-Dublin Airport: 07:20, 10:20, 11:20, 12:30 (via Busaras), 15:30 (via Busaras), 18:00 (via Busaras), 20:20 and 23:20.

Orion

Going to a different county is nonsense. I've got taxis from Dublin City to Maynooth. It all has to be on the meter and there's no surcharge for crossing a county border. This sounds like he left his meter running at the rank to be honest.

Mr.Frame

Bogieman wrote: »

Hi All,
A colleague of mine arrived in from a long haul flight yesterday afternoon and got a taxi from the airport taxi rank to Maynooth.
He was charged €80 euro and told it was that price because of tolls and because he was going to a different county.
I had a look at the receipt ad it was a generic one with no contact details of the company driver etc..
Was he overcharged? Should he have expected a proper receipt?

What did you colleague say was on the meter, did he look at the meter??

By the sounds of it , he got a written receipt ,which is perfectly legal and the vast majority of people want written ones as opposed to printed ones.

Your colleague, if he had any concerns , firstly should have looked at the meter to see what was on it at the end of the journey and secondly should have asked for a printed receipt.

The printed receipt would show details of the driver, time of journey commencement, and end of journey.

The M50 is the quickest and most direct route to take,however if there was a long tail back and long delays on the M50 it would have a baring on the end cost.
But to be honest average price to Maynooth town is in or around 50-55, for one person. Might be a little higher on a sunday, bank holiday or night time, but not much.

Davidth88

That's a total rip off and wrong. They used to have the rule about going across the boundary and pull out what I called the rip off sheet . I used to get a taxi to Lucan taxi office and get a local one . The rules were changed about 10 years ago that should have been on the meter.

mikemac2

The different county spiel hasn't existed for over ten years. Now the driver will go anywhere from a rank up to 30km.

Yes there was a time if you asked for Wicklow, Kildare, Meath or Louth the driver had a card he'd refer to. 50 euro Naas, 120 euro Portarlington are two I remember

Those days are long gone and the lack of a printed receipt was the driver covering his tracks. Not a lot your colleague can do now but he will be wiser next time

Losty Dublin

Davidth88 wrote: »

That's a total rip off and wrong. They used to have the rule about going across the boundary and pull out what I called the rip off sheet .

That was actually the Law in Ireland and not some taxi driver notion like you claim. A taxi was not obliged to operate or use it's meter outside of the area it was issued for. When outside of the area a fare could be agreed by both parties.

As regards a fare sheet, well they were suggested fares. If you were ripped off then I'm sorry but...

Victor

mikemac2 wrote: »

Not a lot your colleague can do now but he will be wiser next time

Having the taxi number or being otherwise able to identify the driver to the NTA / DAA is something that can be done.

Orion

Losty Dublin wrote: »

That was actually the Law in Ireland and not some taxi driver notion like you claim. A taxi was not obliged to operate or use it's meter outside of the area it was issued for. When outside of the area a fare could be agreed by both parties.

As regards a fare sheet, well they were suggested fares. If you were ripped off then I'm sorry but...

it was the LAW eh? Yes they were operating legally but the costs were ridiculous. One time I went through 5 or 6 taxis at the rank on Aston Quay until I got a fare I would agree with. Yes it was legal but some of them took the piss. And even then I had drivers who tried to bump a tenner for distance even after the fare was agreed. Needless to say I didn't pay it. Just because it was legal doesn't mean it was right.

But for the OP - that's all in the past. Any taxi who tried to charge a premium for crossing a county border is acting illegally and could well end up losing their cushy number that is the airport rank if caught.

Losty Dublin

Orion wrote: »

it was the LAW eh?

Yes it was the law. A taxi could only be used within the area the plate was issued for. Once the taxi left the area where it was issued to work, the meter couldn't be used to record the fare, hence agreed fares. A driver could take a booked fare outside of his area but again, the meter couldn't be used.

And yes it was farcical in many respects. Dublin drivers couldn't drop you out to Bray and vice versa on the meter; Blanch, Celbridge, Leixlip and Lucan were also a pain as the city outgrew the county boundary and estates; arguments ensued many a night on between punter and cabbie. Similarly the tourist havens of Tralee and Killarney had two separate taxi areas, which was confusing at high season depending on which firm or driver would arrive to answer calls for pick ups.

Edit; by used I mean hailed from the street or at a rank within the meter area of the respective plate.

Mr.Frame

Orion wrote: »

it was the LAW eh? Yes they were operating legally but the costs were ridiculous. One time I went through 5 or 6 taxis at the rank on Aston Quay until I got a fare I would agree with. Yes it was legal but some of them took the piss. And even then I had drivers who tried to bump a tenner for distance even after the fare was agreed. Needless to say I didn't pay it. Just because it was legal doesn't mean it was right.

But for the OP - that's all in the past. Any taxi who tried to charge a premium for crossing a county border is acting illegally and could well end up losing their cushy number that is the airport rank if caught.

So after you went through 5 or 6 taxis you got the fare you agreed with, so whats the problem? you agreed the fare with the driver!

There are lots of things that are legal and are not right,capitalism is a terrible thing.

Curious as to what you mean by the comment "cushy number that is the airport rank".
How exactly is it "cushy", can you elaborate?

Losty Dublin

Mr.Frame wrote: »

So after you went through 5 or 6 taxis you got the fare you agreed with, so whats the problem? you agreed the fare with the driver!

There are lots of things that are legal and are not right,capitalism is a terrible thing.

Curious as to what you mean by the comment "cushy number that is the airport rank".
How exactly is it "cushy", can you elaborate?

I was on the Lucan rank one evening in the olden days. A passenger spent a good 20 minutes asking every taxi how much to bring her home to Maynooth only to inform us that she was only willing to pay €10. The fare should have been about twice that

mikemac2

In the old days when Galway airport was functioning it was never a problem to anywhere eastside but if you ask to go westside there was a sharp intake of breath at the prospect of crossing the Corrib and you were told what it was going to cost off the meter

You would call up the hackney company and they'd give a better deal, meet them outside the entrance

Those days are gone, so is Galway airport too actually

markpb

Mr.Frame wrote:

By the sounds of it , he got a written receipt ,which is perfectly legal and the vast majority of people want written ones as opposed to printed ones.

Why would people have a preference?

magicbastarder

maybe if they're on expenses it allows them a little leeway in the price quoted?

n97 mini

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Yes it was the law. A taxi could only be used within the area the plate was issued for.

You sure about that? A taxi driver friend told me it was a 10 mile radius from the GPO.

Losty Dublin

n97 mini wrote: »

You sure about that? A taxi driver friend told me it was a 10 mile radius from the GPO.

100%. Plates were issued by city, town or urban councils back in the day, with the metered area being confined to the issuing council's jurisdiction. The council also set the fares for their taxi's along with any rules and regulations applicable.

The 10 miles from the GPO may have been an old thing but it wasn't the last in recent years. Even in the old Dublin PSV badge test you were expected to know how to get to some of the neighbouring towns; eg Bray, Maynooth, Naas.

n97 mini

Losty Dublin wrote: »

100%. Plates were issued by city, town or urban councils back in the day, with the metered area being confined to the issuing council's jurisdiction. The council also set the fares for their taxi's along with any rules and regulations applicable.

The 10 miles from the GPO may have been an old thing but it wasn't the last in recent years. Even in the old Dublin PSV badge test you were expected to know how to get to some of the neighbouring towns; eg Bray, Maynooth, Naas.

I'm talking pretty deregulation. Didn't the D, KE etc thing only come in after deregulation?

Losty Dublin

n97 mini wrote: »

I'm talking pretty deregulation. Didn't the D, KE etc thing only come in after deregulation?

The letters on plates pertain to the PSV areas that the cab driver is licenced to pick up fares as a taxi. Localised places of old pre date them by years.

Davidth88

I knew you could 'agreed a price ... but if you tried you were told that was the price there was no agreement or negotiation 90% of the time . The prices on those sheets were outrageous and designed to rip tourists off ... for example celbridge which is the one I knew was I think 70 euro... whereas the Lucan run was 40 the you could get a local run from there for 10. I used to tell them what u was doing and they acted all insulted.

Orion

Mr.Frame wrote: »

So after you went through 5 or 6 taxis you got the fare you agreed with, so whats the problem? you agreed the fare with the driver!

There are lots of things that are legal and are not right,capitalism is a terrible thing.

Curious as to what you mean by the comment "cushy number that is the airport rank".
How exactly is it "cushy", can you elaborate?

You completely missed all the points. Some of the requested fares were absolutely ridiculous so I turned them down - so yes I did agree the fare when I got a reasonable one. No problem with someone making a living but I won't be ripped off. The fare cards were a complete joke but some drivers used them as defined fares and wouldn't brook any disagreement with them. But you conveniently ignored the statement that I was asked to pay an extra tenner more than once for crossing a county border even after agreeing the fare. Would you consider that reasonable, legal or fair?

As for the airport - my experience and the experience of a lot of people I know who've taken taxis from the airport is not positive. There are a high proportion of robbing ba$tards in the corral out there. I and others I know have been taken circuitous routes to where we've been going because they assumed we were tourists. A friend with an English accent was taken via Malahide to Fairview by an airport taxi. When he got to his house the fare was at least double what it should be so he offered him the correct fare or told the driver to take him to the nearest garda station to agree the fare there. And from the OPs description he got one of those drivers who either let the meter run at the rank or just plain made up the fare. Either way adding anything for crossing a county border is bull and I'd have taken his plate number and reported him for acting illegally - that'd end his rights to ply for trade at the airport at least.

Orion

Losty Dublin wrote: »

The letters on plates pertain to the PSV areas that the cab driver is licenced to pick up fares as a taxi. Localised places of old pre date them by years.

Yet in Maynooth on busy student nights there are plenty of D plates blocking the roads. Typical of the rules being there but absolutely no enforcement whatsoever.

Mr.Frame

Orion wrote: »

The fare cards were a complete joke but some drivers used them as defined fares and wouldn't brook any disagreement with them. But you conveniently ignored the statement that I was asked to pay an extra tenner more than once for crossing a county border even after agreeing the fare. Would you consider that reasonable, legal or fair?

Paying 7 euro for a pint in town is a joke as well,but guess what people pay it.
I didnt "conveniently" ignore anything, you made a comment, I read it.

Orion wrote: »

As for the airport - my experience and the experience of a lot of people I know who've taken taxis from the airport is not positive. There are a high proportion of robbing ba$tards in the corral out there. I and others I know have been taken circuitous routes to where we've been going because they assumed we were tourists. A friend with an English accent was taken via Malahide to Fairview by an airport taxi. When he got to his house the fare was at least double what it should be so he offered him the correct fare or told the driver to take him to the nearest garda station to agree the fare there. And from the OPs description he got one of those drivers who either let the meter run at the rank or just plain made up the fare. Either way adding anything for crossing a county border is bull and I'd have taken his plate number and reported him for acting illegally - that'd end his rights to ply for trade at the airport at least.

Not denying there are bad apples in EVERY walk of life, but making sweeping statements is rather extreme.
You say you have been taken on "circuitous" routes, so are you saying you sat there until the journey ended before you said anything ???

As for your "friend" been taken to Malahide on the way to Fairview
I find that extremely hard to believe, from a drivers point of view (not that i am condoning this supposed action),it wouldnt make sense even if he /she wanted to rip off a passenger to go through Malahide.



I would far believe if he/she went down the Malahide road.
Given that your friend lived in Fairview, it beggars belief that he just sat there as the driver went through Malahide and said nothing!!!!!

With regard to the comment,"And from the OPs description he got one of those drivers who either let the meter run at the rank".

The driver would have had to put the meter on an hour before he picked up the passenger, so again your comment is quite daft.

You also failed to explain ""cushy number that is the airport rank". How is it "cushy"?

Bogieman

Thanks for all the comments.
It was his first time in Ireland so he was unaware of meters etc. but he must have had an idea something was up when he mentioned it to me.
Its not a good impression for people coming here to do business.

n97 mini

Bogieman wrote: »

Thanks for all the comments.
It was his first time in Ireland so he was unaware of meters etc. but he must have had an idea something was up when he mentioned it to me.
Its not a good impression for people coming here to do business.

Don't take the risk and tell him to get the bus the next time. Always a risk of a bad impression when there's a taxi involved!

Mr.Frame

n97 mini wrote: »

Don't take the risk and tell him to get the bus the next time. Always a risk of a bad impression when there's a taxi involved!

Bit of a sweeping statement re taxis.

n97 mini

Mr.Frame wrote: »

Bit of a sweeping statement re taxis.

Yup. It's happened to me too, both here and abroad.

Orion

Mr.Frame wrote: »

As for your "friend" been taken to Malahide on the way to Fairview
I find that extremely hard to believe, from a drivers point of view (not that i am condoning this supposed action),it wouldnt make sense even if he /she wanted to rip off a passenger to go through Malahide.



I would far believe if he/she went down the Malahide road.
Given that your friend lived in Fairview, it beggars belief that he just sat there as the driver went through Malahide and said nothing!!!!

He did exactly that to teach him a lesson. Driver went towards swords, turned up to malaise - not right into the village but the outskirts - then down the malahide road. Completely wrong route and my friend wasn't in a rush so let him waste his time And fuel then refused to pay the meter fare and offered the normal fare that would be charged. Driver refused it so he told him to drive to the local police station and let them decide what the fare should be. Driver took the fare then.

Mr.Frame

Orion wrote: »

He did exactly that to teach him a lesson. Driver went towards swords, turned up to malaise - not right into the village but the outskirts - then down the malahide road. Completely wrong route and my friend wasn't in a rush so let him waste his time And fuel then refused to pay the meter fare and offered the normal fare that would be charged. Driver refused it so he told him to drive to the local police station and let them decide what the fare should be. Driver took the fare then.

Aaaah so now your "friend" didn't go into Malahide as you stated initially ,but "the outskirts" and your "friend" who "wasn't in a rush" just sat there to "teach him a lesson".
Brilliant!

jca

Bogieman wrote: »

Thanks for all the comments.
It was his first time in Ireland so he was unaware of meters etc. but he must have had an idea something was up when he mentioned it to me.
Its not a good impression for people coming here to do business.

How could he be unaware of the meter, it's the largest thing on the dash, the thing that everyone looks at while in a taxi.. Where's he from? Did he question the driver about this generic receipt? I've never heard of this type of receipt tbh. The hackneys here in Enniscorthy give a detailed receipt, driver name, PSV number etc

Orion

Mr.Frame wrote: »

Aaaah so now your "friend" didn't go into Malahide as you stated initially ,but "the outskirts" and your "friend" who "wasn't in a rush" just sat there to "teach him a lesson".
Brilliant!

I'm not sure why you're quoting "friend". Malahide comprises more than the village itself - the taxi went to Malahide just not into the village. I can't help it if you make an assumption and get all shirty when you're wrong.

And yes he did do that. It wasn't the first time a taxi had taken him the wrong way home because of his english accent so he decided to cost the driver time and money as an object lesson.

I assume you're a taxi driver yourself based on all your defences. News for you buddy - not all taxi drivers are as squeaky clean as you'd like people to think.

Orion

jca wrote: »

How could he be unaware of the meter, it's the largest thing on the dash, the thing that everyone looks at while in a taxi.

Not necessarily - I've been in quite a few taxis where the meter display is in the rear view mirror and the meter itself is unobtrusive. You can still see it and read it from the passenger seat or the back but it's not as obvious as the old style mounted one so if you're from another country where meters are not mandatory you could miss it if you weren't looking for it.

jca

Orion wrote: »

Not necessarily - I've been in quite a few taxis where the meter display is in the rear view mirror and the meter itself is unobtrusive. You can still see it and read it from the passenger seat or the back but it's not as obvious as the old style mounted one so if you're from another country where meters are not mandatory you could miss it if you weren't looking for it.

Was that type of meter in your friends taxi or are you going to keep defending him regardless of his obvious lack of common sense?

Mr.Frame

Orion wrote: »

I'm not sure why you're quoting "friend". Malahide comprises more than the village itself - the taxi went to Malahide just not into the village. I can't help it if you make an assumption and get all shirty when you're wrong.

And yes he did do that. It wasn't the first time a taxi had taken him the wrong way home because of his english accent so he decided to cost the driver time and money as an object lesson.

I assume you're a taxi driver yourself based on all your defences. News for you buddy - not all taxi drivers are as squeaky clean as you'd like people to think.

No defense at all, it is a rather lovely story all the same.

With regards to,"not all taxi drivers are as squeaky clean as you'd like people to think".

I am sure many a taxi driver could say the same about passengers as well.

suicide_circus

Whenever I have foreign relatives visiting and theyre getting a taxi from dublin airport out to our place I always get them to hand the phone to the driver and I tell him the destination and preferred route. I know the approximate cost so this avoids any unforseen detours 😉

n97 mini

Everyone has anecdotal evidence, but not long after I moved to Dublin in 1996 I was getting a taxi from the airport to Castleknock. I didn't know Dublin at all but got suspicious when we passed Heuston Station!

Orion

jca wrote: »

Was that type of meter in your friends taxi or are you going to keep defending him regardless of his obvious lack of common sense?

What lack of common sense exactly? He taught that crook a lesson. I applauded him.

Orion

Mr.Frame wrote: »

No defense at all, it is a rather lovely story all the same.

With regards to,"not all taxi drivers are as squeaky clean as you'd like people to think".

I am sure many a taxi driver could say the same about passengers as well.

I fail to see why you think it's untrue. It's not a story buddy. It happened whether you believe it or not. So if you're not going to bring anything new to the dialogue apart from implying I'm a liar I'm not going to engage with you anymore.