Taxi app FreeNow has announced a €1.5m St Patrick’s weekend fund for its driver partners ahead of the bank holiday weekend.
FreeNow said the fund aims to reward and incentivise drivers who work during peak times, helping to service the high demand for taxis over the St Patrick’s public holiday weekend.
FreeNow said the bonus incentive is up to €3.50 per job during peak times. Bonuses will be paid the following week to drivers using the platform.
To qualify for the St. Patrick’s Weekend bonus fund, drivers will be required to complete jobs during peak periods, during the day - for example from 11am to 5pm on the 17th – and in the evening and late night periods e.g. 11pm to 5am across Thursday to Sunday.
With St Patrick’s festivities on Friday as well as the Ireland vs England rugby match on Saturday, FreeNow predicts that March 17 and 18 will be two of the busiest days of the year, with an expected 30% year-on-year increase over the weekend.
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The company predicts that 1am on Saturday will be the busiest time to book a taxi, as they are expecting up to 30,000 requests an hour and eight requests per second.
As parades will close off much of the city centre on Friday, FreeNow expects to see significant demand from the suburbs during the day, with key drop-off points around Merrion Square.
With c.430,000 passengers expected to pass through Dublin Airport over the weekend, FreeNow is anticipating a 73% uplift in demand compared with last year.
General manager Niall Carson is advising customers to use the ‘Reserve’ option to avoid booking delays or long waiting times, avoid peak times, move away from high footfall areas for pickups, and consider sharing a taxi with friends or family where feasible to do so.
