A national scheme to encourage people to start hackney taxi services in rural parts of Ireland has failed in County Cavan and other parts of the Shannonside / Northern Sound region. Cavan County Councillor and Belturbet publican, Brendan Fay, says the lack of taxis in his area is affecting the hospitality trade and leaves it difficult for local people to get to doctor or hospital appointments. The scheme was opened to interested parties in Ballinalee, Co Longford; Elphin, Co Roscommon; Rockcorry, Co Monaghan; and Killeshandra, Co Cavan.
The government offered €6,000 to anyone interested in starting up a pre-booked, or hackney, taxi service in designated rural areas for 12 months. The Joe Finnegan Show heard earlier that the scheme hasn't got off the ground in, at least, either Killeshandra or Elphin. Independent Councillor Fay said there was "great excitement" in Killeshandra when the NTA announced the pilot last February. This has been replaced with "disappointment", however, when the scheme failed to deliver a taxi service in Cavan.
"I'm a publican and live in Belturbet and we have a great service," Councillor Fay told the Joe Finnegan Show, "but, if you look at all towns in my constituency, my MD area - Killeshandra, into Ballyconnell, into west Cavan - it's actually hurting the hospitality industry and people needing to go to hospital or doctor appointments. And if you move over to Killeshandra, Cornafean, to Arva, that area has nothing in Killeshandra, you're almost out in the cold there and there's such disappointment that the scheme has not been rolled out."
