Taxi boss says delay extending face mask rules is endangering drivers and passengers

The delay to extending face mask rules to taxis is endangering drivers and passengers, particularly in Dublin where taxi usage is highest and the incidence of Covid-19 cases is spiralling.

This is according to Free Now’s new General Manager for Ireland Niall Carson who was speaking as the popular taxi app revealed it has distributed over 8,000 reusable and disposable masks to drivers to date to support them at a time when the sector is under huge pressure and reeling from the pandemic.

“At a national level, taxis are most used in our capital city, which now of course has spiralling Covid-19 numbers,” Mr Carson said.

“At a time when taxi drivers are understandably displaying their upset at the perilous situation in the sector, it is extremely disappointing that, despite the Minister for Transport expressing his intention in July to remedy the matter, there has been no extension of the face mask rule since to taxis.”

“Taxi drivers were amongst the worst affected by the Covid-19 pandemic with demand for the service dropping by as much as 75% at its peak back in April and May.

“However, since the restrictions have eased, demand has slowly begun to recover, but this has not been aided by concerns on the part of both drivers and passengers regarding whether face masks are obligatory in taxis.

“Essentially, they are not, but they should be.

“We have distributed over 8,000 masks to drivers to date and helped install over 4,000 protective screens in our fleet, which has led to over 58% of all our jobs being completed in taxis with screens.