According to The Times, taxi drivers in Ireland have called for new entrants to the motor insurance market to help reduce the cost of cover as new figures showed a significant increase in the number of hackney and taxi drivers refused insurance by providers.

The number of taxi and hackney licence holders refused cover by insurers on the open market rose from zero in 2012 to 279 last year. The overall number of drivers refused cover rose from 178 to 1,423 over the same period.

Both categories peaked in 2016 when 1,941 drivers were refused motor insurance, including 375 taxi and hackney drivers.

The figures were provided by Insurance Ireland in a report to the Department of Finance on the declined cases agreement (DCA.

• Irish insurers refuse more and more taxis.