From left: Mytaxi Ireland general manager Alan Fox with Minister Shane Ross, TD. Image: Maxwell Photography
Mytaxi is offering a new range of energy and accessibility incentives for drivers.
Mytaxi drivers in Ireland can now avail of wheelchair accessible and electric vehicle grants in excess of €15,000 as part of an environmental and inclusive initiative.
The company today (16 May) announced that it is offering a €1,000 commission rebate to drivers who avail of the National Transport Authority’s (NTA) Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) Grant Scheme for 2018, which offers financial assistance of up to €7,500 per vehicle.
Mytaxi has already seen the number of WAVs increase by 54pc since July of 2017, with 100 vehicles added in the last quarter alone, and it hopes its fleet will be upgraded even further.
Boosting accessibility
The €1,000 commission rebate is also being extended to drivers who avail of the electric vehicle incentive scheme that has been introduced by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross, TD. This scheme sees a €7,000 grant offered towards the purchase of an electric vehicle for those with a small public service vehicle (SPSV) licence.
Drivers availing of both these schemes on the purchase of a new vehicle could benefit from more than €15,000 in relief in total. While only entitled to a single €1,000 commission rebate from Mytaxi, drivers are able to take passengers who use the wheelchair facility without having to pay a commission to the firm.
A cleaner and greener Ireland
Ross said: “My department is committed to the electrification of the national SPSV fleet as part of our transition to a cleaner and greener Ireland.
“With the NTA, we are also pushing hard to increase the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles in the fleet as part of meeting the needs of a diverse, modern society. Mytaxi is supporting these initiatives with its own measures, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the company in the national drive towards a sustainable, modern public transport system. Taxi drivers should look into these schemes and avail of all the incentives on offer.”
Supporting the needs of the population
Stephen Cluskey, Mobility Mojo CEO, said: “Taxis are a very important door-to-door public transport service for many people in Ireland, that need to be inclusive of all members of our society. It is vital we move towards a taxi industry which supports the diverse and varied needs of our modern, contemporary population.
“I believe these new Mytaxi incentives, combined with recent moves by the Department of Transport and NTA in this area, will go a long way towards encouraging more drivers to opt for a fully accessible taxi, and so this is an extremely positive announcement.”
General manager for Ireland at Mytaxi, Alan Fox, said: “WAV taxis now make up 10pc of our driver fleet in Ireland. However, we still believe there needs to be a step change in the number of such taxis available to the public; and, in partnership with the Department of Transport and the National Transport Authority, we are determined to play our part in continuing to boost the number of wheelchair accessible and electric taxis by the end of this year.”
He concluded by urging drivers to get in touch with Mytaxi to find out more about the scheme.
