Taxi fares are set to rise by an average of 12% from September of this year, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has announced.
The NTA said that from September it will be mandatory for all taxis to include a cashless payment option for customers.
On Friday’s board meeting (17 June) NTA approved the proposed National Maximum Taxi Fare increase and Small Public Service Vehicle (Cashless Payment Facility) Regulations, the NTA said it in a statement.
It is the first fare increase since 2018 when the average cost of a taxi journey rose by 4.5 per cent.
The new fare structure will see the standard initial charge increase from €3.80 to €4.20.
The initial charge during premium periods covering 8pm-8am and Sundays and public holidays will go from €4.20 to €4.80.
“The 2022 Maximum Fare increase is a weighted average of 12% to reflect the increase in operating costs faced by taxi drivers, together with the introduction of the cashless payment facility mandate,” the NTA stated.
“The cashless payment facility regulations will make it mandatory for all taxis to have an in-taxi point of sale cashless payment device and for cashless payments to be accepted for taxi journeys when requested by customers.”
Both changes will be introduced together, taking effect from 1 September.
A review of taxi fares is generally carried out every two years by the NTA, although taxi representative groups are expected to call for further measures before the next scheduled review in 2024 because of the sharp increase in fuel prices in recent weeks.