A new government-backed one-year programme has been launched to help improve transport choices for people living in rural locations across the country.
The Local Hackney Pilot programme is designed to attract new, part-time local hackney services to operate in communities which cannot support a full-time taxi or hackney service.
The programme, which was launched by the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan and the National Transport Authority (NTA), will operate in 21 rural areas from Donegal to Cork for one year.
Transport options
Minister Ryan is hoping the pilot programme will improve transport options available across rural Ireland “not just in towns, but in the areas around those towns where so many people live and farm”.
“This pilot responds to the reality of rural life in Ireland, in a creative and local-based way, connecting people from their doors to local towns, healthcare centres, the post offices, or onto other transport stops and hubs.
“With this new pilot service, rural communities across Ireland will now be given the opportunity to have a part time local area hackney service available to them.
“We will monitor it over the coming year and learn from it so that we can roll it out across many other areas,” the minister said.
All drivers who sign up for the programme will be licenced, insured and Garda vetted and will offer people a doorstep-to-doorstep service.
One of the key aims of the project is to create transport options that will provide an “essential last mile connection for people living in more isolated and rural areas”.
But there is also a provision in the new prorgamme that it will not impact on existing taxi or hackney services already operating in an area as new applicants will be awarded a special limited local licence.
Under the terms of the Local Hackney Pilot programme every applicant awarded a license may receive a €6,000 grant to subsidise ordinary fare income and to support the service.
This grant will also help to support the fixed costs associated of operating the service and will be paid out by the NTA over one year in monthly installments. All service providers will have to demonstrate that they are delivering services that benefit a local community.
According to the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) the service could deliver a boost to local businesses and pubs in rural communities.
VFI chief executive Paul Clancy has repeatedly warned that rural pubs could be under threat because of proposed new licensing laws and rising costs.
Pubs are currently facing major price increases, last December Heineken increased its prices and today (Tuesday, January 10) Diageo confirmed that it will increase the price it charges for Guinness by 12c/pint.
VFI has called on Diageo to reconsider the move but in the meantime, Clancy has said the launch of the rural hackney scheme is welcome.
“It’s the type of initiative the VFI has wanted to see for a number of years.
“Rural Ireland is short on public transport solutions so this pilot will hopefully be part of the solution the country desperately needs.
“Most importantly, this scheme will strengthen community bonds as the drivers will all be from their local areas,” Clancy added.