How much do Taxi Drivers earn?

Hi JD,

You realise that the op was made in 2007 and the last post was made in 2009.

aj
mod
 
Its all this charitable work taxi drivers do innit?

We know people who used to take in English students - no more alas.
They live in South Dublin and the students had to come in from the airport.
Taxi drivers used to rip them off by travelling across the M50 - the distance made the fare €75-80.

Our friends did a little digging and found that coming through tiown, even with midday traffic, cost €50 or so, and in the morning, with no traffic cost as little as €40-45.
Last time we went abroad [2009] we took the city route and were charged €45.

To be fair to the OP and other contributors, our last Taxi guy, a local to whom we referred several fares, and who was running a bio-diesel converted passat estate, went out of business last year for lack of work.
So it seems that some people are getting the work and some aren't, just as some architects are still working away while others aren't - no playing field is entirely level.

To be fair to the current crop of taxi drivers, unregulated competition with a young population tends to drive wages down to what a sinkie or dinkies can bear.
It certainly doesn't seem designed to support a single wage at a sufficient level to support a family.

ONQ.
 
Derulation has opened the market to anyone who wants a licence. You have to prove you are tax compliant. It means that people like teachers with short hours can hit the streets at peak taxi demand time and get as much of the business as they can.
Even with a receipting system it is still a cash industry which allows for a certain amount of tax free income once you play the game with Revenue.
The full time sdrivers have a hard time making a living. Howver they scalped people long enough like the publicians
 
Complainer said:
So how come there are thousands of active taxis in Dublin?
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Someone in the family was in the hackney/taxi business (no longer in it) and even 4yrs or so ago it was very difficult to make money unless you worked a lot of hours. Have the odd accident and your insurance goes up and its no longer viable.

I don't get taxi's much, but most of the ones I've got recently aren't in the business long, and many have unsuitable cars, that they had already before they started taxing.

Its relatively easy to get into and anyone can do it. Which is why I expect most people get into it. Perhaps they have no other options, or haven't realised yet that its very hard to make money at it.
 
been told 450 a wk in galway city. down from an impressive 900 in the good times. 40 hr......just what ive been told
 
jdsam said:
if your mate earns a grand a wk. thats before he pays his base 80 to a 100 euro minus diesel 150,insurance and maintenance on car and he's probably doing 60/70hrs a wk.Ho also nct and licence renewel every year, that 1000 is getting smaller is'nt it and now your car can't be over 9yrs old, so if your financing a car that's another 3/400 per month.Sorry pal not a viable buisness anymore cost of keeping car on road clearly outweighs reward.
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That was a year and a half ago. I found out a bit more since. I dont know his costs but he makes a grand min AFTER costs. He does 5 hours 3 nights a week and all evening Saturday. He only starts at 5 when he leaves his normal job during the week.
So hes only working as a taxi for max 20 - 25 hours a week. He is delighted with it.
 
minion said:
That was a year and a half ago. I found out a bit more since. I dont know his costs but he makes a grand min AFTER costs. He does 5 hours 3 nights a week and all evening Saturday. He only starts at 5 when he leaves his normal job during the week.
So hes only working as a taxi for max 20 - 25 hours a week. He is delighted with it.
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His normal job? See that's the problem with taxis. I can see why full time taxi drivers are annoyed with part time drivers coming in to supplement other jobs or the dole. How would he feel if taxi drivers went into his work place and undermined his ability to earn a living? I am all for the free market (I still remember the bad old days) but I do think that the taxi drivers have a genuine complaint with how the industry is run.
 
The same "problem" arises in any industry with no/low barriers to entry, massive competition and very slim margins. What do you need to set up in the industry? - no real qualifications, a few grand to buy a plate and license and car.
Ultimately market forces will drive taxi prices to a level where drivers earn just enough to make it worthwhile to drive rather than be on the dole. You can see this happening already where lots of taxi firms are offering to take 20%-25% off the meter price.

tvman
 
Hang on; this is a low/no skilled job. I’m not saying it’s easy but it is unskilled (just like say being a labourer on a building site). There's too many carpenters, plumbers, brick layers, solicitors, architects, civil engineers, plasterers etc etc. None of them are saying that nobody else should be allowed into their sector. Why should a job that requires no training have barriers to entry?
No industry or sector should be run for the benefit of the people working in it. It should be run to deliver a service to the consumer. Put any quality levels you like in place (like not allowing bangers to be used a taxis and making sure drivers know where they are going) but don't go back to restricting supply in order to increase prices.
 
Sunny said:
His normal job? See that's the problem with taxis. I can see why full time taxi drivers are annoyed with part time drivers coming in to supplement other jobs or the dole. How would he feel if taxi drivers went into his work place and undermined his ability to earn a living? I am all for the free market (I still remember the bad old days) but I do think that the taxi drivers have a genuine complaint with how the industry is run.
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Do you think that people should not be allowed to have a second job if they so choose?
 
Purple said:
Hang on; this is a low/no skilled job. I’m not saying it’s easy but it is unskilled (just like say being a labourer on a building site). There's too many carpenters, plumbers, brick layers, solicitors, architects, civil engineers, plasterers etc etc. None of them are saying that nobody else should be allowed into their sector. Why should a job that requires no training have barriers to entry?
No industry or sector should be run for the benefit of the people working in it. It should be run to deliver a service to the consumer. Put any quality levels you like in place (like not allowing bangers to be used a taxis and making sure drivers know where they are going) but don't go back to restricting supply in order to increase prices.
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Couldn't agree more.

I once (many years ago) opened a shop in an area starved of my service, and lo and behold, 2 months later a similar shop opened up within 500yds from me. Could I complain to anybody or do anything about it?? No I couldn't.

Welcome to free enterprise.........
 
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