New hackney service to be provided in County Kilkenny

A new subsidised local hackney service is to be provided in Freshford in County Kilkenny where no current full-time service exists.

Freshford in County Kilkenny is one of twenty-one rural locations included in the pilot scheme announced today.

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The Local Hackney Pilot is a grant aided programme, which is designed to encourage new part-time local hackney services to operate in communities which could not support a full time taxi or hackney operation. 

The pilot programme will roll out across 21 rural areas, stretching from Donegal to Cork, for one year. 

All drivers will be licenced, insured and Garda vetted and will be able to pick people up from their doors to drop them to where they want to go, providing that essential “last mile” connection for people living in more isolated and rural areas. 

Applications to take part in the Pilot Programme can be made at 'localhackney.ie'.

Each successful applicant for the local hackney license may be granted €6,000 as a subsidy to ordinary fares income, to run the service. 

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This grant is designed to contribute towards the fixed costs associated with providing this service. 

It is payable by NTA over one year, in equal monthly instalments, where the service provider can show that the services are being used and the local hackney service is of benefit to the community.

This special limited local licence is designed to ensure that existing taxi or hackney services already operating and providing appropriate service in any area are not displaced.

The local hackney, which exclusively operates on a pre-booked basis, may only pick up passengers within a designated area of 7 to 10km from a chosen point, normally the residence of the licenced driver.

The drop off point has no restrictions, with trips to healthcare facilities and transport hubs further afield anticipated.

Commenting on the new pilot, Malcolm Noonan TD said that improving connectivity across rural Ireland is 'a key priority' for the Greens in government, not just in towns, but in the areas around those towns where so many people live and farm.

"This pilot is a welcome development that responds in a really practical way to the reality of Irish rural living," he said.

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"In tandem with the increase in local link bus services it’s creating additional transport options to connect people from their doors to their local towns, healthcare centres, post-offices and training centres, or onto other transport stops and hubs.

"It has the potential to offer a safe, reliable and much-needed transport service, and create a part-time employment opportunity for people living locally."

The final acceptance date for applications for the pilot is February 28, 2023.

Two separate licences are legally required to operate a local area hackney; a local area hackney vehicle licence issued by NTA for suitable, appropriately insured vehicles and a local area hackney driver licence issued by An Garda Síochana for a driver who has been successfully Garda vetted.