“For a young woman alone in the city at 4 a.m., the taxi crisis is terrifying”

Lots of people said that Irish Independent that taxi drivers have refused to take them to certain locations when the journey is deemed too short.

Students, hotel staff and people working in the entertainment industry have all shared disturbing stories of trying to get home from Dublin late at night.

Ms Kelly recently attended the Trinity Ball and after the event tried to get a taxi through the FreeNow app but none was available.

Then she tried to hail a taxi on the street. However, three drivers who stopped her drove off when she asked to be taken to Coolock, north Dublin.

“Due to a communication failure with my friends, I was left alone and thought I could get a cab,” Ms Kelly said.

“I was alone and cold, but some of them just drove away. I stopped another car and basically haggled with the driver to get me home but while I was talking to him two people jumped in the back and he drove off. That’s crazy.

“It’s a universal problem as my friends have all had similar experiences and to be left alone in the city at 4am as a young woman is terrifying.”

After standing out in the cold for almost two hours, she finally found a driver who agreed to take her home.

“It takes the good out of going out,” Ms Kelly said.

For people who work in the hospitality and entertainment industries, the lack of delayed taxis is frustrating.

Davina Devine, one of Ireland’s most well-known drag queens, has spoken out openly on the subject in recent weeks.

She said customers left the George Bar much earlier than usual to catch a taxi before closing time.

Transport fears are having a negative impact on business and causing problems for employees.

“I’ve had such a bad run with taxis lately and I rely on them a lot at work,” the performer said. “It’s the same with all the other queens in town. It’s been going haywire lately and everyone seems to be affected.

“The streets are getting unsafe, definitely since Covid. Small gangs cavort in Dame Street and Temple Bar.

“We have recently seen gay men and women being attacked and it becomes a major safety issue when people are waiting in the street at night.

“We recently performed at a wedding party and my friend spent an hour and a half hailing a cab on the quays. Our other friend who lived just outside of town had to get up, hail a cab and come and pick her up. It’s madness.”

Gaz Kavanagh, who works as a DJ, also had trouble getting home at night. He usually drives to work, but some venues don’t have parking. At around 1 a.m. on St. Patrick’s night, he tried to get a cab home.

“I was at College Green rank where the line was huge but the cabs ignored the line and asked people for their locations and decided who to take,” he said.

The majority of drivers refused to accept credit or debit cards for payment, Mr Kavanagh added.

The National Transport Authority (NTA), which regulates the taxi industry, states that drivers cannot unreasonably refuse a fare as long as the distance is less than 30 km.

Currently, taxi drivers are not required to accept card payments, but the NTA this week announced plans to make card payment facilities mandatory in all taxis.

Many people choose the FreeNow app as they find it more secure and they can pay by card. However, there was criticism from people who found it impossible to get drivers at night.

Niall Carson, general manager of Free Now Ireland, said demand for overnight transport had “grown exponentially”, up more than 20 per cent in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2019.

“The inadequate supply and variety of public transport available to passengers in cities like Dublin late at night is the real pressure point,” he said. “We have added over 1,000 riders to our fleet since the pandemic began.

“However, with the huge increase in overnight passenger demand in cities like Dublin since the beginning of this year, the sector simply does not have enough taxis on the road to meet all demand.”

Meanwhile, the NTA is proposing increases in taxi fares, particularly for those working late nights, to incentivize drivers. It found that the cost of hailing a taxi on the road increased by 11 percent between 2017 and 2022.