FREENOW CALLS FOR CHANGES TO LOCAL HACKNEYS TO SUPPORT RURAL TRANSPORT
Expanded pickup area and taxi branding among measures recommended to boost supply of rural hackneys
FREENOW has today (28.05.25) called for changes to the Local Area Hackney licence to support the growth of transport options in rural areas. Concerns have been raised that the strict limits on pickup areas and lack of awareness of hackney services have made the scheme unviable, and more support is needed to provide transport in rural Ireland. There have also been calls for the maximum age limit for Local Area Hackneys to be extended to 15 years to prevent vehicle costs forcing rural operators out of the industry.
The Oireachtas Committee on Transport today raised the need for changes to the Local Area Hackney licence during a public session with the National Transport Authority. FREENOW has written to the National Transport Authority (NTA) to recommend changes to the restrictions on Local Area Hackney licences to support drivers in rural areas, including:
Expand the current maximum radius from 10KM to 20KM.
Allow drivers to pick up OR drop off within that radius, not just pick up.
Allow drivers to advertise their service on the side of their car.
Provide NTA-funded advertising for drivers in their local areas.
The Local Area Hackney (LAH) licence aims to support the provision of local hackney services in rural areas. A Local Hackney Pilot was launched in 2023 to support transport in communities which could not support a full-time taxi or hackney operation. The pilot was designed to operate in 21 rural areas across Ireland, however, only two operators were licensed under the scheme. Following the lack of uptake in the pilot scheme, the NTA is reviewing the LAH licence and SPSV services in rural areas and a report is expected in the coming months.
Paul Cheevers, a Local Area Hackney driver in Castlepollard, County Westmeath, is faced with closing his service unless changes to the scheme are made. “Under the scheme, you're very limited, you’ve a really small area you can pick up from. It’s a 10km radius of where I am, but that doesn't actually tend to link up the areas that need the service. I can bring people to Mullingar, no problem, but I can't bring them home. So, if somebody rings me up to say that myself and my wife are looking to go into town for dinner, can you bring us in and bring us home at such a time? And I have to say, sorry, I can bring you in, but I can’t bring you home. And then they say, well, if we're not guaranteed a way home, then we probably won't bother going out at all.”
Paul has also raised the lack of branding and advertising for Local Area Hackneys, citing a lack of awareness of his services and safety concerns from passengers, saying that it looks like he is an unlicensed driver.
“My car is no different to anyone else’s, only it has two stickers in the window, and no regular member of the public knows what those are. I find if someone books me, they just think they’re booking a taxi, so when you arrive without any branding on the car, it’s not until they’re sitting in the seat and see your licence on the dash that they actually know you’re legit.”
“The car being visible to people that are in the locality is a big thing because a huge number of people don't know that it exists. When I’m driving around my area, nobody knows I’m a hackney unless they see my licence. Not everyone in the country uses social media, which is really the only place I can advertise, but the car itself is the most visible aspect of a taxi service. If people can actually see that there is a hackney service in the area, they might try using it.”
FREENOW Ireland General Manager, Danny O’Gorman said: “Increased transport is a key issue in rural communities across Ireland. The LAH scheme could and should provide local residents with an alternative transport option, making it easier to get from A to B. However, the current restrictions make it almost impossible for potential passengers to use their local hackney.
“Removing these restrictions to the LAH licence could make a huge difference to these passengers and to drivers struggling to provide services. FREENOW has been working with Hackney drivers to understand the challenges they’re facing and has trialled several initiatives to support drivers, such as including Hackney’s in the app free of charge to help connect them with passengers. While these initiatives have produced some positive results, it has become clear that more support and changes to the existing restrictions are urgently needed to ensure LAHs can continue to operate and service rural communities. I have written to the NTA to recommend a number of changes to the scheme which we think would support in making it more viable for applicants.”
ENDS