Kelly welcomes rural transport consultation but demands delivery

Labour’s Alan Kelly TD has welcomed the National Transport Authority’s consultation on Local Area Licences to enhance rural transport, saying that the move must now be matched with immediate action to deliver real connectivity for rural communities.

Deputy Kelly said the consultation represents long-overdue progress on an issue Labour has consistently raised with both the Minister for Transport and the Director of the National Transport Authority.

He urged the Government to use this opportunity to finally expand access to safe, regulated local transport options for people living outside major towns and cities in rural locations.

Deputy Kelly said: “Labour has long called for the rollout of Local Area Licences across the country to ensure that rural communities have access to reliable taxi and private hire services. Currently there is market failure and that will continue unless there is state intervention.

"For too long, people living in rural Ireland have been cut off from safe, affordable transport options — whether it’s getting to work, medical appointments, or social events and this is having a huge negative impact on communities. This consultation must now lead to action, not just another report gathering dust.

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s failure to promote, resources and expand this scheme has once again let rural Ireland down. Communities across the country have been left without on demand taxi or Hackney services and this lack of local taxis and hackneys is having a direct impact on people’s quality of life and safety. Rural Ireland needs solutions now, and the Local Area Licence model offers a real, workable way forward — if the political will exists to reinvigorate it.

“I have consistently raised this issue with both the Minister for Transport and the Director of the National Transport Authority. What we need is urgency and ambition. Expanding the number of these licences by ensuring the process for applying for them isn’t too onerous could provide a meaningful answer to the taxi shortage in rural areas, while supporting jobs and keeping transport services under proper regulation.

"Local organisations, businesses and social groups should be able to come together to apply for these licences. It should be a nominal licence that only allows the licensee to operate locally say within 15km and not allow pick up in cities or airport trips etc.

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"These licences should allow multiple people to operate within the local area and there should be a standard fare that is set yearly for local trips. This can be updated once a year. The insurance industry have to be brought into this process so they don’t on their own prevent it from operating.

“I strongly welcome the progress on this issue. But real progress will only come when the Government puts resources and political energy behind this model so that every part of Ireland has access to safe, reliable, and affordable on demand transport services."