Plans to hold a series of massive rolling taxi protests over fixed fares introduced by Uber, which promised major disruption in Dublin, have been suspended.
In a statement on Friday afternoon, Taxi Drivers Ireland said that they had decided to suspend the planned six day action and associated protests after agreeing to talks at Government Buildings next week.
“Taxi drivers have confirmed they are suspending further escalation of protest action pending the outcome of a meeting at Government Buildings scheduled for next week,” the group said in a statement.
“They have also informed An Garda Síochána that all protest activity will be paused while engagement with Government takes place.”
A spokesperson said: “We are acting in good faith. Pending the outcome of next week’s meeting, we have suspended further protest action and hope meaningful progress will be made on the issues facing taxi drivers.”
The suspension is temporary and subject to the outcome of the meeting, the group said.
Drivers maintain that new fixed rates introduced on the taxi app are sometimes a third of what they would receive under a metered fare, and have said they will “not quietly accept the destruction of our livelihoods”.
The group had claimed the Government had “chosen silence instead of responsibility”.
Where and when are taxi drivers planning to protest in Dublin?
Taxi drivers are planning a series of protests in Dublin from Monday, December 8th. Here is where and when those rallies will take place.
Monday: From 7am, drivers will proceed in convoy from Mountjoy Square to Merrion Square in Dublin and “remain parked until 5pm”.
Tuesday: Protest near Dublin Airport between 4.30pm and 7.30pm, targeting “all holding areas and access locations outside of airport grounds”.
Wednesday: From 7am, drivers will proceed in convoy from Mountjoy Square to Merrion Square in Dublin and “remain parked until 5pm”.
Thursday: Protest near Dublin Airport between 4.30pm and 7.30pm, targeting “all holding areas and access locations outside of airport grounds”.
Friday: From 7am, drivers will proceed in convoy from Mountjoy Square to Merrion Square in Dublin and “remain parked until 5pm”.
Saturday: Protest at Dublin Airport from 4pm to 6pm, followed by a “rolling convoy” from the north and south into the city centre, entering Dame Street for a “slow rolling protest”.
In Dublin, the group had pledged to stage a protest from 7am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, during which drivers were to proceed in convoy from Mountjoy Square to Merrion Square and “remain parked until 5pm”.
On Tuesday and Thursday, the group planned a protest near Dublin Airport at rush hour between 4.30pm and 7.30pm, saying it would target “all holding areas and access locations outside of airport grounds”.
A similar protest had been planned at Dublin Airport on Saturday from 4pm to 6pm, to be followed by a “rolling convoy” from the north and south into the city centre, entering Dame Street for a “slow rolling protest”, the group said.
Under the system introduced at the start of this month, a customer booking a taxi journey through Uber is shown a projected range of metered prices for the trip, along with a fixed option which they can choose to take at the time of booking.
An Uber spokesman told The Irish Times last week that potential passengers were “much more likely to book a trip if they know what the fare is going to be” and suggested this created “more earning opportunities for drivers”.
The drivers, however, said when there were delays to a journey due to heavy traffic or roadworks, the new system could have a significant effect on their level of income.