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Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure speaks out on struggling taxi industry

Michael Murphy

Image credit: Karl Black remixed

The taxi industry around the UK has been drastically impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions which have been introduced to slow down the spread of the virus. Many drivers have been left unable to earn a living, and in many cases, drivers have lost money due to the financial commitments such a job holds.


Cabbies in Northern Ireland have been no strangers to the challenges the pandemic has brought, but financial assistance has been offered to help those struggling most.

Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure has spoken exclusively to TaxiPoint, discussing what has already been done to show support to the industry, as well as what measures have been in place to monitor the ongoing impact of the pandemic.


TaxiPoint asked a few key questions to get a full understanding of the Department for Infrastructure’s roadmap to keeping the taxi industry afloat:

How have you and the Northern Ireland Government monitored and evaluated the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the taxi industry in Northern Ireland? What have the key findings been?


“The Department for Infrastructure carries regulatory responsibility for the taxi industry. It was clear following engagement with the sector that the ongoing restrictions introduced at the onset of the pandemic to key services such as hospitality/night-time economy, school transport, general hospital appointments/admissions, city centre retail and sporting events have had a direct and significant impact on taxi drivers’ capacity to trade. Therefore a case was made by the Minister for Infrastructure to develop a bespoke financial support scheme for taxi drivers.“


Do you think the central UK Government’s support specifically for the taxi industry across the UK has been adequate? How and why has the Northern Ireland Government actively provided further support?


“In the Autumn, the NI Executive agreed that there were grounds to introduce a bespoke financial support scheme. Therefore the first Taxi Driver Financial Assistance Scheme was launched by the Department for Infrastructure in November to cover the period to September 2020. The scheme provided financial support for overheads incurred by taxi drivers and is in addition to other financial support provided, such as through the self-employment income support scheme (SEISS). The scheme paid grants of £1500 to over 4,350 applicants, (almost 95%of applicants), with a total cost of some £6.5m.

“In January the NI Executive agreed to the development by the Department for Infrastructure of a second financial assistance scheme for taxi drivers to cover the period from October 2020 to March 2021. The second scheme closed at the end of February and within one week 4,651 applications had been processed to payment, some 92% of the eligible applications received, amounting to over £7.1m.”


What measures are currently in place to monitor the ongoing impact and what would you say directly to taxi drivers about the future of their industry in the short and longer term?


“Throughout the year the Minister and Departmental Officials have met regularly with the taxi industry and their representatives and this engagement will continue. In addition to the financial assistance schemes, the Minister has also introduced regulatory easements for the sector amounting to over £1m – this included allowing the automatic renewal of taxi vehicle licences, free of charge and without prior test, for a period of 12 months up to the end of May. The Minister also authorised the delivery of on-line periodic training and renewed 5 year licences without a medical report.“


In addition to speaking with Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure, TaxiPoint also reached out to Welsh and Scottish transport representatives to find out what measures they have put in place for the taxi industry, as well as any ongoing support. Those exclusive interviews can be found in our TaxiPoint Digital Magazine March Edition, which is out now, and can be accessed through the link within this article.

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