FREENOW, Ireland's leading multi mobility app is gearing up for one of the busiest weekends of the year as it predicts a 20% increase in demand compared to the same weekend in 2022. The expected increase is fueled by the arrival of thousands of American football fans for the highly anticipated Aer Lingus College Football Classic, set to take place at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, August 26th.
The sold-out game, featuring the showdown between Notre Dame and Navy, will see 39,176 American fans making the journey directly from the United States, setting a new world record for the largest number of Americans travelling internationally for a single sporting event.
Taxi Rush Hour
With the Aviva Stadium brimming with spectators from across the United States, FREENOW forecasts the period between 6 pm and 7 pm on Saturday, August 26th will be the busiest. During this hour alone, FREENOW anticipates up to 4,000 requests, with an estimated 66 requests per minute.
As the football game concludes and fans disperse throughout Dublin to enjoy the city's vibrant nightlife, FREENOW expects a high demand for taxis, especially within the city center. Popular tourist areas and pubs, including Temple Bar Pub are expected to be popular drop-off locations.
In conjunction with the influx of US visitors, FREENOW is anticipating a 25% increase in taxi trips from the airport over the weekend compared to previous weeks. Furthermore, it expects a 10% uplift in airport drop-offs on Monday, August 28th.
Fiona Brady, Head of Operations and Public Affairs for FREENOW said: "The College Football Classic is expected to be one of the biggest sporting events for travel and is set to make for a busy weekend for our drivers across the city. With such an exciting weekend ahead, we want to ensure that everyone gets to thoroughly enjoy it, so, where possible, we recommend that passengers pre-book their taxis in advance using our Reserve booking option to avoid delays."
Travel Tips:
As the College Football Classic promises to amplify taxi demand, FREENOW advises passengers to consider the following tips for getting to and from planned destinations with ease.
- Pre Book your trip on the app by hitting the ‘Later’ button to avoid booking delays or long waiting times.
- Consider multiple public transport options such as buses, DART, Luas and Rail.
- Avoid peak times where possible.
- Move away from high footfall areas if possible.
- Consider sharing a taxi with friends or family where feasible to do so.
For more information, please visit www.freenow.ie or download the FREENOW app from your preferred app store.
