THE head of the iconic black taxis in Belfast believes there is a future for the service following a turbulent number of years.
Brian Barr, Transport Manager for West and North Belfast Black Taxis CIC, says changes and other factors in recent years has left minimum services operating on the road.
Begun back in 1971, black taxis have been a mainstay on the roads for over 50 years, servicing the Falls, Andersonstown, Glen Road, Lagmore, Twinbrook, Poleglass and Ardoyne.
Today, there are just four operating the routes – one for North Belfast and three serving West Belfast with other drivers relying on school runs and tours to make a living.
Sitting down with the Andersonstown News, Brian believes the Covid-19 pandemic had a huge impact on the company.
"Things have changed dramatically in the past number of years. There are only four drivers operating on the road these days," he explained.
"A number of factors have caused that. The main one was Covid. Pre-Covid we had 130 drivers and after Covid, only 42 came back.
"Many of our drivers were at retirement age and Covid marked the end for so many of them. We have tried to restructure and rebuild. I mean, if you are looking a job, the door is open for you to start.
"The reality is that the drivers we have now are relying on school runs through the Education Authority and tours.
"Belfast has changed too. It is a massive tourist hotspot. We work with the Wild Rover and they are up from Dublin 362 days a year. St Patrick's Day, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day are the only days they don't operate.
"The bus comes to the Park Centre for 9.30am every morning. A typical day for a driver would be do a school run in the morning, then a tour, then another school run in the afternoon.
"Tourists are coming to us for a black taxi tour. They are known worldwide."
Brian said the introduction of the Glider has also has an impact on the black taxi service.
"We lost probably a third of our passengers because of it. The Glider is now doing what ourselves and the normal bus was doing before.
"You had the Glider, then Covid, then working from home and most of our customers in the morning were civil servants who are now only doing one or two days a week in the office.
"I also think Belfast city centre has gone downhill massively. People aren't coming into the town as much as they used to. The area we are based in is also a factor.
"This area used to be buzzing. It was the busiest part of the town and now there is nothing apart from Castlecourt."
Despite the concerns, Brian is hopeful of a bright future for the black taxis and wants to explore options in the near future amid a fight for survival.
"I do believe there is a future for the black taxis. If we had the drivers I think people would come back to us. I do believe people are not happy with the transport system in Belfast, particularly the Glider," he added.
"I would love to regenerate the black taxis. We would probably need some sort of grants to employ people and get back on track. I would love to get around 30-40 taxis, employ 80-100 staff and put shifts on and operate as a proper service.
"I often reminisce of the service we used to have and always watch YouTube footage of the old days. I don't know what the future holds. We are surviving for now.
"My message to people is if they see a black taxi on the road, stick your hand out and get into it and continue to support us.
"I want to thank people for their support throughout the years. We are hoping to regenerate and we will keep the public updated on that. Our drivers have been very loyal over the years and so are our passengers."
