Taxi app Free Now has stated that taxi-booking requests in Ireland via its app increased by 250% year on year on Saturday 22 January, following the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions in the country on the morning of the same day.
Comparison To The Previous Weekend
Free Now noted that ride-hailing requests rose by 60% during the weekend of 22 January, compared to the previous weekend, with the Saturday being the busiest day in January on record for the taxi app.
Most Popular Locations
According to Free Now, taxi requests almost doubled in Co. Cork during the weekend of 22 January – making it the county with the largest increase in taxi requests that weekend – with 2am being the most popular time for ride-hailing requests there, while city centre nightlife locations in Dublin, Limerick and Galway were the next most popular drop-off locations, coming in just below Cork.
Busiest Hour And This Week
Free Now added that 1am on Sunday 23 January was the busiest hour of that weekend for requests, with more than six taxi-booking requests being made per second via the Free Now app, and the company is predicting that bookings will continue to rise this week.
Statement: Free Now General Manager
Free Now general manager Niall Carson stated, “The past 20 months of the pandemic and national restrictions have weighed heavily on every aspect of life in Ireland, but it is uplifting to see the country opening back up again and regaining a sense of normality. Free Now and our driver partners are committed to keeping the nation moving with flexible transport in the coming weeks and months, as they get from A to B, whether it’s their workplace, local pubs and restaurants, or various/other destinations that we will be returning to in 2022.”
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