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Dublin Live
Dublin Live
National
Emma Nevin

Taxi demand in Dublin sees over threefold increase during St Patrick's Day

Up to 400,000 people attended the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin yesterday with many more continuing celebrations in pubs and clubs throughout the night.

Popular locations such as Temple Bar were jammed packed during the day and the festivities continued until the early hours of this morning.

Taxis were much busier than usual, seeing over 3.5 times more demand than a regular Thursday, according to taxi hailing company Bolt.

Read more: 'Sea of Green' at jammed Temple Bar as people flock to pubs for St Patrick's Day celebrations

A spokesman for Bolt said their most popular pickup destinations yesterday were Baggot Street, Temple Bar and Harcourt Street.

The spokesman said the longest journey on their taxi app on St Patrick's Day was almost 250km, from Dublin to Letterkenny.

James Bowpitt, Operations Manager of Bolt Ireland, shared some tips on how to get a taxi in Dublin this Bank Holiday weekend.

He told Dublin Live: "The most simplistic tip is to try and share a taxi if you can.

"The less people needing taxis because more people are sharing one means that more people can get home.

"That's obviously not always practical because people live on different sides of town."

Read more: Kellie Harrington says she had a mini-crisis before St Patrick's Day parade

Read more: Dubliners share their favourite Irish songs with one popular singer reigning supreme

Mr Bowpitt said that if you're using an app, the best way to do it is to try and walk away from a crowded area before you start to book your trip.

"So if you're in Temple Bar, don't stand on the corner and order one. Walk four or five blocks and get away from the main hustle and bustle. That way you have a better chance of the driver accepting the trip," he said.

"From the driver's perspective, they're driving to the side of the street to where you're standing and trying to work out who you are.

"It's very confusing for them late at night or if there's a bunch of drunk people at night, people will just try and jump into the car. So walk away is the best tip."

He also shared advice on how to best hail a taxi from the street.

"If you're trying to grab one off the street, the best thing you can do is position yourself on the left hand side of the road on a street that is incoming to a busy area.

"So say you're somewhere in Ranelagh. You want to be on a main street that's a little bit before you get to all the bars and pubs so you can nab that taxi before it arrives to where everyone would be waiting."

Read more: Florence + The Machine to return to Dublin with 3Arena gig in November

Read more: RTE Late Late Show viewers left with 'goosebumps' after Kellie Harrington sings popular Irish song

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