Rush hour traffic in Dublin city centre and around the airport was severely disrupted on Thursday evening as taxi drivers staged a second go-slow protest against the introduction of fixed fare options for customers by bookings platform Uber.
Organisers claimed between 1,000 and 1,200 drivers participated in the protest, which held up traffic along the routes from the Phoenix Park and Clontarf into the city as well as around the airport from 4.30pm.
After arriving into the city centre, many taxis continued to circulate in the area around Merrion Square where it had been agreed with An Garda Síochána the protest would be focused.
Keith Harris of Taxi Drivers Ireland, which organised the protest, said those participating regretted the disruption caused “but we have to make the point to the public that we can’t work under the new rules of Uber’s fixed rate fares”.
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“You can see the frustration,” said Mr Harris, gesturing towards the long lines of taxis sounding their horns that stretched in both directions outside Government Buildings. “It’s Christmas time, these guys should be flat out working but they’re here because they believe if this goes ahead, in 12 or 18 months, their livelihoods will be gone.”
Most participants who spoke to The Irish Times said they were directly impacted by Uber’s move. Some said, however, they didn’t take work from the company and were simply there to show solidarity as they were concerned the fixed fare initiative has the potential to undermine the current regulated meter system.
About a third of Ireland’s taxi drivers are understood to be registered with Uber.
Under its system, introduced at the start of this month, a customer seeking to book a taxi journey on the Uber’s website or app will be shown a projected range of metered prices for the trip, along with a fixed option which they can choose to take at the time of booking.
In the event that the metered fare comes in lower than the fixed price, the passenger will only have to pay that as National Transport Authority (NTA) regulations do not allow drivers to charge more than the fare displayed on the meter at the end of a journey.
Drivers are, however, allowed to charge less if they agree this with the customer.
Uber says this provision addresses drivers’ objection to the new system, under which the fixed fare offered to the customer is then offered to a driver, less Uber’s service charge. By agreeing to take the fare, the company says, the driver is making the process compliant with the rules.
In response to the protest, an Uber spokesman said potential passengers were “much more likely to book a trip if they know what the fare is going to be” and suggested that this created “more earning opportunities for drivers”.
The drivers, however, say that in instances where there are delays to a journey due to heavy traffic or roadworks, the amount they receive from Uber for a fixed fare can be a third or more reduced on what they would have received had the metered fare been payable.
The NTA says it has no role in the issue, as long as metered fares are not exceeded and drivers have called on the Government to update the regulations to prohibit the fixed fare system.
[ Taxi drivers take protest against Uber’s proposed fixed fares to Leinster HouseOpens in new window ]
