The National Transport Authority (NTA) has today published the findings of a survey aimed at understanding current and expected taxi usage in Ireland.
The survey shows a total of 93% of people feel safe while waiting at a rank for a taxi, while 94% feel safe hailing a taxi on the street. Almost three in four people believe taxis generally provide a good service, with 68% saying they feel safer travelling by taxi after a night out.
Of those surveyed 81% said they found it easy to get a taxi with most people only waiting between five and fifteen minutes. 40% of those surveyed reported waiting under five minutes to get their last taxi.
The number of passengers using taxis has increased significantly during the eight months from October 2022 to May 2023. 13% more people are now using taxis regularly, which has resulted in an 85% usage rate – the highest recorded since October 2020.
The latest statistics confirm 45% of people have used a taxi within the past month, with most using them for social or recreational reasons.
The two main reasons given for selecting a taxi over other forms of transport were the speed and convenience offered to customers.
A quarter of taxi journeys were less than five kilometres in length, with more than a third of taxi journeys carrying one passenger only.
A large proportion, 40%, of taxis nationally were ordered by phone with 27% ordered by app. This rose to 38% ordered by app in Dublin. A significant percentage of trips are on Fridays and Saturdays, totalling 51% of most recent journeys.
The survey included specific questions for persons requiring a Wheelchair Accessible Taxi (WAT) or a person who had travelled with someone who did. This subset of respondents comprised 5% of the overall number. Responses showed that roughly half of wheelchair users found it difficult to get an accessible taxi on the street or via phone or an app. The most successful route to booking a WAT was found to be via a traditional dispatch operator.
Almost half of people surveyed said they would recognise an electric taxi with almost a quarter of people confirming they had taken a journey in one.
The survey also shows that 27% knew about the free downloadable TFI Driver Check App, which allows intending passengers to check a taxi and driver are properly registered and licenced before getting in, an increase from 19% reported last year.
Over 1,000 people took part in the survey during May 2023. Quota controls were applied to ensure a national representation including both urban and rural areas.
View the full report by clicking here.
