Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Creegan mentioned the propensity to shift towards bicycles or e-bikes. If the models do not adequately factor in human behaviour, we could underestimate or overestimate. The big risk is to underestimate the modal shift opportunity that is there.

Returning to the late-night economy, taxis and public transport, the situation every weekend, particularly in Dublin, is not satisfactory. The system is broken in terms of transport for people. Will the witnesses spell out where they envisage it going? We are coming into July. The witnesses say in September the increased taxi fare will come in. When will the NTA introduce the campaign to recruit people into the industry? Notwithstanding increased fares and the recruitment drive, I hear from the taxi industry that, due to transferability and the ten-year rule, there might be a drop-off on the other side and we might not be in a better scenario. The NTA has to do calculations on that but that scenario may arise. How is the NTA continually reviewing this? Will it review transferability or the ten-year rule? What if there is not a significant uptake on the recruitment drive and the new fare structure does not bring people out during those important hours? I have a personal concern about the taxi industry, which I see reflected in the industry generally.

A related question concerns when the public transport options will come on stream. We meet with transport providers and they say they are ready to go and if the NTA gives them the green light, they will deliver. The witnesses may have a different perspective and I would be interested to hear it. We are in an unsatisfactory situation. The witnesses are aware of that and have been contacted by the media and others in relation to it, including, I am sure, public representatives, and, I hope, the Minister. Will they project forward the solution? At what points will they consider everything I am outlining in terms of transferability and the ten-year rule?