Derry Taxi Association was established in September 1981 by republican ex-prisoners to create jobs in deprived areas for those who were being discriminated against and to provide an affordable alternative public transport system in nationalist areas.  The Association started with four drivers and a part time manager and despite state sponsored harassment, soon expanded to employ a full time manager with over forty drivers by the middle of the 1980s.

The Association is community based and works regularly with that community to improve the quality of life of those that it serves.

The Association grew from strength to strength during the 1980s to a point were it employed almost fifty drivers providing a wide range of transport services to the Derry public including political tours on demand for visitors to the city.

As it grew in strength the Association began to organise itself better and developed its services to meet customer demands.  In the early 1990s the association identified a need for disabled access taxis in the city and applied for funding to buy a wheel chair accessible taxi.  Despite considerable resistance the application was successful, as was the project itself.

During this time the Association constantly reviewed its services to the public and with customers needs in mind it identified a need to provide a fully regulated private hire taxi service.  This would give the Derry public a first class service that they demanded and were entitled to.

In October 2000 the Association opened its private hire service with one saloon car and a number of its seven seater vehicles.  Derry Taxis became a stand alone company, providing a fully regulated taxi service with increasing demand from the public to the point where today the Association has over forty saloon cars along with its upgraded fleet of six, seven and eight seater vehicles.  In May 2004 the Association installed a computerised booking and dispatch system in its offices, an investment of almost £100,000, and the first of its kind in the Derry area.  This was the beginning of a process that will eventually see the taxi industry totally professionalised in the Derry area.

The Association has also structured its tour operation and has created a website exclusively to deal with its tour services thus providing a first class service to those who visit our city.

Today the Association employs over sixty people providing a full range of transport services to the public and is contracted to various community groups, schools and the private sector.  

Over the past thirty years Derry Taxi Association has involved themselves in a range of Charity work in order to give something back to the community that they serve.  At one point this seen a Pink “Black Taxi” travelling around Derry in a fundraising effort for the Children’s Hospice.  This venture raised over £10,000. 
Again to give something back to the community, Derry Taxis have linked up with Seeds to raise much needed funds for the Changaro Trust.

Derry Taxi Association would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have helped us in any way to make the Association the success that it is and look forward to working with you and others as that success continues.