""We won't back down," Mr O'Keeffe said. "The livelihood of taxi drivers depends on it. We won't allow [Uber] to run the Irish industry into the ground. "We have seen the devastating effect this had on Barcelona a number of years ago. "They come in and destabilise the market, they push out the regulated taxis until they have a control on the market, and then the prices increase.""
"Uber's decision to introduce a fixed-price model in Ireland at the start of this month sparked a dispute with taxi associations, which have mounted public protests and lobbied Irish politicians. Dublin city centre was brought to a standstill by a taxi driver protest on Thursday and further protests are planned over the festive season. Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien has asked the National Transport Authority (NTA) to examine the concerns raised by taxi associations. He has already met with the Small Public Service Vehicle (SPSV) Advisory Committee."
Uber introduced a fixed-price model in Ireland at the start of the month, allowing passengers to pay fares calculated by the app's algorithm rather than the NTA-regulated meter. Ireland has almost 18,000 taxi drivers, with roughly one-third signed up to Uber's app-based dispatch service. Hundreds of drivers are turning off the Uber app and opting for metered fares as part of a campaign against the app's impact. Taxi groups staged public protests, including a Dublin city centre stoppage, and lobbied politicians. The Transport Minister has asked the National Transport Authority to examine the associations' concerns. With the Christmas party season beginning, drivers are favouring metered fares and the Taxis for Ireland Coalition urged people to book planned journeys.
Read at Irish Independent
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