Up to 350 city taxis may be hit by ban on old cars

Date Published: 06-Jan-2011

By Bernie Ní Fhlatharta

The new regulation enforcing all taxi cars to be no older than nine years old will cause hardship among Galway taxi drivers, it has been warned.

Councillor Niall McNelis has called for a moratorium on the new regulation, which was introduced on January 1, and extend it by a year so that taxi drivers could at least avail of the scrappage scheme.

“I have spoken to at least ten taxi drivers in the last few days and they tell me this latest regulation will crucify them. This is an ill-thought out measure and will cause untold hardship for many taxi drivers.

“About one quarter of the taxi fleet nationally will have to be replaced going by this nine year rule – it will affect up to 350 taxi drivers of the 1,100 we have in the city.

“In the current economic climate it will be very difficult, even impossible, for taxi drivers to replace their cars within the next 12 months.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.