Meeting

Today the taxi drivers held a meeting to vent their anger at the Taxi regulator and the Government.

Meeting in Swords today



The Irish Taxi Council decided to use the conclusions set out in the Transport Committee’s report as their list of demands for the Taxi industry: (this I would fully endorse)

1. That legislation should be introduced immediately to provide for the introduction of a three year moratorium on the issue of taxi licenses with the exception of the provision of wheelchair accessible taxis.

2. That the Minister’s proposal to subsume the Taxi Regulation Commission into the Dublin Transportation Office be implemented immediately.

3. In view of the inadequacy of taxi ranks in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford the Committee proposes that the Taxi Regulator establish the number of extra taxi rank spaces to be provided in each city in 2009 and 2010 and require those additional taxi rank spaces to be provided by the relevant local authorities.

4. That the Garda authorities be given responsibility for enforcement of taxi driver licensing in association with the Taxi Regulator. That a senior Garda be assigned to this role in each Garda division in view of the fact that the Taxi Regulator has already stated that she does not have enough resources to monitor the situation properly (nine enforcers).

5. That insurance certificates be checked in real time to rule out the amount of fraudulent certificates being presented.

6. That the new national licensing system that was introduced in 2006 which gives each license holder a unique 5 digit license number should include the city of issue.

7. That an authorised company would supply the taxi / hackney plates and roof signs with a security code to ensure that they cannot be copied and that they should be supplied only by N.C.T. centres.

8. That new applicants be required to undergo tests equal to or exceeding the standard required to acquire an Irish driving license.

9. To further improve the standard of service delivered, new criteria should be implemented through the examination process that would include a formal interview and proficiency in Irish or English.

10. That taxi drivers who wish to relinquish their plates should be obliged to return them to the Taxi Regulator at the purchase price. This would eliminate the practice of reselling them through newspapers etc.

11. That in the future the practice of renting or leasing taxi licenses should be discontinued with the exception of car replacements.

This list which has been in the hands of the Minister since last July will be sent along with a 7 day strike notice tomorrow…..hopefully there will be a reaction this time.

I copied this from Roys Blog.

I thought that we lived in a democracy not a dictatorship,but things are coming to a head very fast now.

One person Quoted something which is very relevant.
A nation of sheep must be be governed by a pack of wolves eventaly.

Its time to stand up now.
I went on strike at Heuston a few times and did hospital runs for no charge while radio cars picked up fares around the corner, they have to look themselves in the mirror in the morning and say. "I did well yesterday while my colleagues fought for our rights."
I do not agree with blocking the Luas or the port.
But I do agree that the people we elected to represent us all must be made to listen to common sense.

You get what you allow.
45,000 X rays were not viewed by qualified staff over a 4 year period in the Tallagh hospital!!!!
People sent home with broken arms, tumors etc.
Yet staff in the hospital KNEW this was going on and said nothing.

So what do you want a n industry regulated with a bit of cop on or a dictatorship where the workers are killed with 1,000 knife cuts.