Taxi driver protest

murts

Taxi drivers from all over the country are descending on the capital tomorow (Thursday 5th march) to highlight the need for a cap on licences.
Drivers will be meeting at different locations and then driving in convoys to Stephens Green and Merrion Square.
Meeting points have been organised at Liffey Valley , Airside and Stillorgan. Up to 5000 taxis are predicted to take part in the biggest taxi protest ever held in the state. Drivers have been forced into this action as Minister Noel Dempsey has refused to sit down and listen to the drivers plea for a temporary cap on licences.

What time is it at?

localhothead

hummer time

leincar

12 Noon I believe.

acontadino

class, my dad(a taxi driver) just organised to get loads of african taxi drivers to go to the march. ah my dad...what an absolute hero.

Vic_08

thousands of taxis intentionally blocking Dublin's major roads; same as every other day then.

Highsider

They'll be getting zero support from me. Creaming it for years not paying tax and overpricing to beat the band.

acontadino

come on, there is a lot of good ones as well. they do deserve some sort of protection. they just want to help their family for god sake.

P_1

When will this protest finish? Will the roads be clear again around 4?

Trampas

pithater1 wrote: »

When will this protest finish? Will the roads be clear again around 4?

Well they might lose a few on the way as they pick up fares

2qk4u

Highsider wrote: »

They'll be getting zero support from me. Creaming it for years not paying tax and overpricing to beat the band.

Why is it a problem for you that taxi drivers made a good living ?
Taxi drivers have to pay tax or no licence.
Taxi fares are calculated on the meter, if you dont want to pay the fare then dont get in a taxi.
I suppose you are a model citizen ?

Badabing

Is it a strike? because im working tommorow no matter what.

koopa troopa

Just when I thought I could despise taxi drivers no more than I do, they pull another arse protest like this, dont these goons realise they are directly hurting the people who pay their income? why not do something that imapcts the goverment rather than joe soap on his way to/home from work??

Yep I really hate these tossers!!!

Q the taxi loving trolls....bring it on!!!

AlekSmart

The rather unpalatable fact for many is that a Taxi Driver is Self-Employed.

If he/she withdraws their labour then it is against themselves that the action is taken.

This can be seen during each Taxi-Driver strike/protest when the protesters are forced to shout abuse or make threatening gestures at the Many other Taxi Drivers who continue to work "normally".

It was noticeable during last week`s protest that during the march across O Connell Bridge stewards had to be quick to restrain some protesters from taking things a bit further when Non-Protesting Taxi`s stopped to pick up fares directly in front of the Marchers........Definitely NOT a wise move I felt....purely from a commonsense point of view.

positron

Anyone know what exactly are they doing this for?

I don't understand how/why taxi drivers deserve any more protection than average Joe. If the high number of taxis out there is reducing the income of average taxi driver, I would say market forces would come into play soon (some will quit sooner or later) and the situation will correct itself. Or when competition pushes fares down and quality of service up, public would use taxis more may be, and that should keep more people in business.

I don't understand how someone or a group can ask the government to protect their interest when that is against the interest of rest of the nation. Taxis are not really an 'essential public service' like Garda, Post etc for Government to 'protect'.

May be Taxi drivers are protesting to ask the government to bring in regulation to improve the standard of service - certain standards for cabs, code of conduct for drivers, some centralized technology solution to picking up fares and registering income etc.. etc.. In that case, they have my respect!

bcirl03

Highsider wrote: »

They'll be getting zero support from me. Creaming it for years not paying tax and overpricing to beat the band.

+1 100%

paulm17781

They claim they want higher standards and they claim the public mainly support them. I got scolded by insisting they're going about it wrong as all anyone thinks is that they want a cap on licenses.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0305/taxi.html is from today's news. Not a mention of standards, just how difficult it is to make a living, as though no one else is suffering. :rolleyes:

Queue taxi drivers coming in here saying it's not fair...

Taxipete29

AlekSmart wrote: »

It was noticeable during last week`s protest that during the march across O Connell Bridge stewards had to be quick to restrain some protesters from taking things a bit further when Non-Protesting Taxi`s stopped to pick up fares directly in front of the Marchers........Definitely NOT a wise move I felt....purely from a commonsense point of view.

This is completly untrue and unless you can back it up I suggest you retract it. I was on this protest this most certainly did not happen.

loyatemu

whats the situation in London? - my understanding is that you have to have a black cab (expensive), and pass a fairly difficuly knowledge test. Is there also a cap on license numbers?

Ham'nd'egger

loyatemu wrote: »

whats the situation in London? - my understanding is that you have to have a black cab (expensive), and pass a fairly difficuly knowledge test. Is there also a cap on license numbers?

No cap on either licences or drivers in the UK. There is a far higher standard of testing involved, Medicals are required, police checks must be supplied by applicants and the general testing is pricier to apply for though not excessive and plates are dearer. In some markets, specialized cars are required (Enter the legendary black cab) while some markets administer a harder test such as London's knowledge. The training for the Knowledge takes the average man 4 years and 12 exam sittings to pass, the training courses can cost a lot over this time.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/businessandpartners/PCO-Knowledge-examinations-system.pdf

London has about 25,000 taxi drivers driving black cabs. Dublin had about 16,000 taxis serving it up until October 2006.

HydeRoad

paulm17781 wrote: »

They claim they want higher standards and they claim the public mainly support them. I got scolded by insisting they're going about it wrong as all anyone thinks is that they want a cap on licenses.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0305/taxi.html is from today's news. Not a mention of standards, just how difficult it is to make a living, as though no one else is suffering. :rolleyes:

Queue taxi drivers coming in here saying it's not fair...

The media put their own spin on it too. The taxi drivers are aware of that. We don't have the media on our side, any more than anyone else.

As for coming in here to say it's not fair, no, we had a long, long thread, all last week, arguing out all the wheres and whys, and while no conclusions were arrived at, I would have hoped that on both sides there was a bit of enlightenment following all the explanations of each other's viewpoint.

Then somebody comes along and starts a brand new thread, digging up the whole argument again, as if having never bothered to read last week's discourse all about this very same topic.

I've better things to do than keep coming in every week to the latest brand new thread on the same subject, week after week. Perhaps if people bothered to read posts before starting new ones...

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055498613

The OP has just two posts to his name!!! I suppose he won't even bother to return to read the thread he started. Now THERE'S something to :rolleyes: about!

paulm17781

HydeRoad wrote: »

The media put their own spin on it too. The taxi drivers are aware of that. We don't have the media on our side, any more than anyone else.

As for coming in here to say it's not fair, no, we had a long, long thread, all last week, arguing out all the wheres and whys, and while no conclusions were arrived at, I would have hoped that on both sides there was a bit of enlightenment following all the explanations of each other's viewpoint.

Agreed, I tried telling people that getting better public / media support was a better course of action but this was "bugging" some posters there.

The attitude of we'll protest until we get what we want is enough to put me off supporting you, whatever the reasons. The public and media don't either. You're fighting a losing battle and I hope it costs you.

cichlid child

Originally Posted by Highsider View Post
They'll be getting zero support from me. Creaming it for years not paying tax and overpricing to beat the band.

bcirl03 wrote: »

+1 100%

+2 100%

dubhthach

No doubt like the last protest they'll play such gems as the "Corrs" and "Put them under pressure" (Italia 90) in Fitzwilliam Square. I found it quite interesting that they only wanted to play Irish music (and fairly lame irish music at that) over their microphone.

lods

dubhthach wrote: »

No doubt like the last protest they'll play such gems as the "Corrs" and "Put them under pressure" (Italia 90) in Fitzwilliam Square. I found it quite interesting that they only wanted to play Irish music (and fairly lame irish music at that) over their microphone.

I hope the Guards & the clampers do their job today.No other group of protesters can car their cars where they want.:mad:

lods

dubhthach wrote: »

No doubt like the last protest they'll play such gems as the "Corrs" and "Put them under pressure" (Italia 90) in Fitzwilliam Square. I found it quite interesting that they only wanted to play Irish music (and fairly lame irish music at that) over their microphone.

I hope the Guards & the clampers do their job today.No other group of protesters can park their cars where they want.:mad:

lods

Taxipete29 wrote: »

This is completly untrue and unless you can back it up I suggest you retract it. I was on this protest this most certainly did not happen.

yes it did. i saw it too.

sharkman

Taxipete29 wrote: »

This is completly untrue and unless you can back it up I suggest you retract it. I was on this protest this most certainly did not happen.

have a look at the picture titled "Drivers having a ''chat'' with a few drivers who decied to work" HERE

AlekSmart

This is completly untrue and unless you can back it up I suggest you retract it. I was on this protest this most certainly did not happen.

No need Taxipete29,as it happened in front of me on the Southbound side of O Connell Bridge.
A dark grey MPV actually pulled in to pick up a fare directly in full view of the March as it headed Northward.
Not alone that but this Gent had to actually pull in with his Cab at an angle facing Eden Quay,thereby holding up the traffic behind him.

I sounded the horn in an attempt to interest the motorcycle Gardai at the side of the march but their attention was focused on progressing across the bridge.

I certainly thought it was a prococative gesture on the part of this particular Driver as you would have needed to be asleep not to see the March or to have some idea of its aims.
The stewards kept the march moving which limited the responses to the verbal kind so there was No physcial unpleasantness but the gent concerned was left in no doubt as to the depth of feeling behind the protest.

However it does illustrate that for any major action to be effective it must have widespread support from the majority of the sector.

dubhthach, I found it quite interesting that they only wanted to play Irish music (and fairly lame irish music at that) over their microphone.

This statement of itself appears to imply some form of "Intent" on the Taxidrivers part.
I`m at a loss to suggest what Music they SHOULD play given that we are in Dublin,Ireland.....when in Rome etc etc ???

I`m not a Taxidriver but I see great merit in their protest at being expected to partake in a brand spanking new PR based "Regulation" system which has failed to deliver anthing except UN regulated Volume of supply.

delop

Of course I understand groups of ppl trying to protect their jobs, but as far as I see it, in the countries Ive visited,Taxi Driving is a low skilled job that is mainly left to immigrants, It seems that locals think they cant make a living out of it, and immigrants seem happy enough, In fact I was talking to a Nigerian Taxi driver a few weeks ago, and he said there was plenty of money in it if your willing to put in the hours, and he was....

So I guess local drivers should look at their own position and if they cant make a living out of it then change jobs, you could argue that in any industry workers might benefit from a national protected head count, but Id doubt it...

BTW the 8% increase was mad, I just cant afford a Taxi these days...

Also I'm sure the minister is under pressure to do something about the fare price in theses deflationary times ...

paulm17781

sharkman wrote: »

have a look at the picture titled "Drivers having a ''chat'' with a few drivers who decied to work" HERE

I also noticed the sign one driver has which reads "Why has Dublin got more taxis than NY." These protests are about introducing standards my ****!

andrewdeerpark

Remember visiting Dublin 8 years ago and waiting 2 hours in the freezing cold for a regulated taxi (anyone else remember the bad olde days!)

The government killed the taxi plate as a tradable asset then deregulated the market, why turn back the clock.

I do not want to see the Taxi plate reinstated as a tradable asset with limited numbers.

Taxi driving is unskilled work that does not require excess regulation so let free market economics run the market as it is now. If you cannot make it pay exit the market - simple as that. The only standards should be regarding police checks, English speaking and geographic knowledge.

Competition is the cornerstone of the capitalist free system we subscribe to anyone wanting a change can emigrate.

paulm17781

I think car standards, clean criminal record are important too. I do agree though.

godtabh

acontadino wrote: »

come on, there is a lot of good ones as well. they do deserve some sort of protection. they just want to help their family for god sake.

Thats a load of tosh. I work in the civil engineering industry and jobs are in such a short demand but you dont see any one from IEI saying that they should limit the number of college places to engineers do you?

If they dont like what they do do something else. We dont owe them a living

Quint

Thing on the Taxi driver protest on Joe Duffy. They're not doing anything to get public opinion on their side anyway.

HydeRoad

You lot are unbelievable. You are either sitting in work dossing on boards, or sitting at home dossing on boards. Charmed lives.

I am NOT out protesting with the taxi drivers today. Instead I have an appointment with the bank this afternoon to plead with them AGAIN to give me more time to try to sell my home before they take it. I cannot get a buyer. I have sold my taxi plate, but cannot sell the car, which is worthless. I cannot taxi in it, as it is overdue maintenance that I cannot afford. The money from the plate is gone on overdue bills.

I have been going into Social Welfare for weeks now, and they string me along and tell me every reason why I am entitled to nothing. Citizens Information also told me I am entitled to nothing. I have to go into the bank, and explain to them that my income is ZERO. NOTHING. I have no money to give them. Not even a dole payment. I hope they don't start proceedings to put me in jail. I was honest all my life, and worked hard.

At least in jail I would be guaranteed shelter and a meal. Perhaps that is where some of you would like to see me. After all, in the words of paulm17781 I am only a 'stain' on society.

There are plenty of taxi drivers on this protest who are not destitute. They are older, and don't have the mortgages and commitments of the younger guys. That does not take away from the desperate situation of some of the younger guys. I'm sure some of them are only in it for what they can get, but I don't care, because whether they win or lose their case, it's too late for me. Sure there's a few who would happily drag us back to the 1970s, but screw them, too. Unfortunately, many of them haven't a clue about good PR or fighting a just case. But then, they were paid up members of a union that should have been doing that for them, and instead, has let them down. I would have hoped that in andrewdeerpark's 'capitalist free system' there would be some threshold slightly above ZERO that nobody would be let fall. Maybe if I could afford to emigrate, then he wouldn't have the disgust of having to look at me.

I am sorely sorry I ever got into taxiing. I hung myself out the window with loans to do so. But I was strung along by this regulator with promises of high standards and an industry that was modernising itself. Instead she opened the floodgates to hundreds of people who quite obviously never had to pass any kind of knowledge or suitability test, and all the promises of standards in the industry were proved to be lies, like everything else that comes out of this government. I was sold a booger, and now I am paying dearly. I don't want a cap on anything, just some standards I could have aspired to, and some self respect. Instead it is a free-for-all, with no standards whatsoever. That's your 'free market' system in action.

There you are now, paulm17781, I didn't want to broadcast my personal business on a public forum, but I hope you are happy. You can carry on with your self satisfied insults now all you want. I won't trouble you further. I will withdraw my ID to protect what little self respect I have left.

Quint

HydeRoad wrote: »

You lot are unbelievable. You are either sitting in work dossing on boards, or sitting at home dossing on boards. Charmed lives.

I am NOT out protesting with the taxi drivers today. Instead I'm inside dossing on boards.....

Fixed that for you

Jip

kearnsr wrote: »

Thats a load of tosh. I work in the civil engineering industry and jobs are in such a short demand but you dont see any one from IEI saying that they should limit the number of college places to engineers do you?

Exactly the point I raised a few weeks back on a similar thread and strangely the taxi driver involved became unusually quite.

How about the accountants made redundant or accepting pay decreases yesterday ogranise a similar protest restricting the amount of jobs in their profession, same goes for brickies, sparks, chippies, plumbers and every other profession in the country ?

Why not, well the reason being is that the rest of us live in the real world and dare I say it, are generally better educated and therefore don't carry around a chip on our shoulder whispering into our ear that society owes us a living without us having to put any effort into it whatsoever.

The fool that was on Joe Duffy fits into the category above and I can only assume he's speaking for everyone else on the protest. In his crazy little mind he's just driving to the protest, the fact that's there's traffic congestion and ignorance from cars on the protest is just a wild coincidence. A smack of a garda batton might clarify things for him.

Hyderoad above also fits into the whole "we're owed a living" category too. While I feel sorry for the situation you're in you cannot expect anyone to dig you out. You chose to be a taxi driver with the idea of making easy money. Proper competition came along making it harder for you to do so but don't be so self centred, thousands of people are in the same situation and they either move on to another jon and retrain to try survive.

paulm17781

HydeRoad, I genuinely feel for your situation I do. However I too can lose my job, my money can also dry up. What do I do? I went to university for 4 years, should I blame the government for my study being a waste of time if I do lose my job? We are all facing tough times, I outlined my situation in at least 2 other posts.

I referred to all of you who are striking as a stain on society. It's the kind of attitude that is wrong with this country. "F* everybody else, I want my bit." None of you care about the public or getting the support of the public. Just protest until you get what you want. I and, by the looks of this thread, no one else will support you as long as this is the attitude. As said before why are you entitled to a living?

There is no mention anywhere (other than here) of drivers wanting standards just a cap. Maybe that's because the media are against you, maybe it's because you've done nothing to get anyone on your side.

Also, I don't know why you're singling me out on this, I'm not the only who sees it this way. Even when I tried to give some friendly advice on the other thread, it got thrown back in my face. Why should I care if that's what I'm dealing with.

Quint

The guy on joe duffy was possibly the first taxi driver in ireland that's driven outside a buslane when he wasn't on duty.

Cuddlesworth

HydeRoad wrote: »

You lot are unbelievable. You are either sitting in work dossing on boards, or sitting at home dossing on boards. Charmed lives.

I am NOT out protesting with the taxi drivers today. Instead I have an appointment with the bank this afternoon to plead with them AGAIN to give me more time to try to sell my home before they take it. I cannot get a buyer. I have sold my taxi plate, but cannot sell the car, which is worthless. I cannot taxi in it, as it is overdue maintenance that I cannot afford. The money from the plate is gone on overdue bills.

I have been going into Social Welfare for weeks now, and they string me along and tell me every reason why I am entitled to nothing. Citizens Information also told me I am entitled to nothing. I have to go into the bank, and explain to them that my income is ZERO. NOTHING. I have no money to give them. Not even a dole payment. I hope they don't start proceedings to put me in jail. I was honest all my life, and worked hard.

At least in jail I would be guaranteed shelter and a meal. Perhaps that is where some of you would like to see me. After all, in the words of paulm17781 I am only a 'stain' on society.

There are plenty of taxi drivers on this protest who are not destitute. They are older, and don't have the mortgages and commitments of the younger guys. That does not take away from the desperate situation of some of the younger guys. I'm sure some of them are only in it for what they can get, but I don't care, because whether they win or lose their case, it's too late for me. Sure there's a few who would happily drag us back to the 1970s, but screw them, too. Unfortunately, many of them haven't a clue about good PR or fighting a just case. But then, they were paid up members of a union that should have been doing that for them, and instead, has let them down. I would have hoped that in andrewdeerpark's 'capitalist free system' there would be some threshold slightly above ZERO that nobody would be let fall. Maybe if I could afford to emigrate, then he wouldn't have the disgust of having to look at me.

I am sorely sorry I ever got into taxiing. I hung myself out the window with loans to do so. But I was strung along by this regulator with promises of high standards and an industry that was modernising itself. Instead she opened the floodgates to hundreds of people who quite obviously never had to pass any kind of knowledge or suitability test, and all the promises of standards in the industry were proved to be lies, like everything else that comes out of this government. I was sold a booger, and now I am paying dearly. I don't want a cap on anything, just some standards I could have aspired to, and some self respect.

There you are now, paulm17781, I didn't want to broadcast my personal business on a public forum, but I hope you are happy. You can carry on with your self satisfied insults now all you want. I won't trouble you further. I will withdraw my ID.

I really am sorry to hear that man, from somebody who just dodged the bullet with my job yesterday. But I know plenty of people who bought into the scheme at the start. And all of them quickly bought back out of it, took the hit and left the business. All drivers who are struggling should see this as what it is.

A unskilled job with minimum requirements and extremely low wages. Its the same all over the rest of the world and its the same here now

Quint wrote: »

Fixed that for you

Rot in hell.

Jip

Quint wrote: »

The guy on joe duffy was possibly the first taxi driver in ireland that's driven outside a buslane when he wasn't on duty.

Yeah, that was a laugh wasn't it ! As I said, that's the mentatlity you're dealing with. Another guy has just been on who's witnessed a bunch of scummers banging on a taxi driven by a black man calling him a scab and telling him to go home and stop taking their jobs. They really need to be arrested for doing this before things get really out of control.

The more taxi drivers you hear speak out about this the more obvious it is that it's nothing to do with standards, it's all about protectionism.

HydeRoad

Final post, I hung on just to see what reaction there'd be. I expected both sorts.

The difference between me and all you guys is, if you lose your job, you can sign on the dole straight away. I am having an awful time convincing them of my situation, and in the meantime I am living on thin air. I have no money whatsoever.

Taxi drivers, it seems, will never have respect. Some of them are their own worst enemy, and I hate being associated with them. Proper standards by a proper regulator might have seperated the genuine ones from the troublemakers.

But there are no standards. This regulator is as corrupt and deceitful as everything else in this rotten FF government. It's all lies and spin, from every side, the minister, the regulator, the drivers, the media.

Sorry paulm17781, didn't intend to single you out, you are far more articulate than some of the Neanderthal responses we get, and I know some taximen act like Neanderthals too. I'll just be glad to be away from it all, whatever happens. I support the protest for this reason, simply, that the regulators office stands for lies and deceit, and for anything but the kind of standards the industry is crying out for. Those that would have risen to the standards, will no longer be able to afford to remain in the industry, and it will be left to the cheapest element.

I'm off out now. Have to see this bank! Wish me luck!

lods

HydeRoad wrote: »

Final post, I hung on just to see what reaction there'd be. I expected both sorts.

The difference between me and all you guys is, if you lose your job, you can sign on the dole straight away. I am having an awful time convincing them of my situation, and in the meantime I am living on thin air. I have no money whatsoever.

Taxi drivers, it seems, will never have respect. Some of them are their own worst enemy, and I hate being associated with them. Proper standards by a proper regulator might have seperated the genuine ones from the troublemakers.

But there are no standards. This regulator is as corrupt and deceitful as everything else in this rotten FF government. It's all lies and spin, from every side, the minister, the regulator, the drivers, the media.

Sorry paulm17781, didn't intend to single you out, you are far more articulate than some of the Neanderthal responses we get, and I know some taximen act like Neanderthals too. I'll just be glad to be away from it all, whatever happens. I support the protest for this reason, simply, that the regulators office stands for lies and deceit, and for anything but the kind of standards the industry is crying out for. Those that would have risen to the standards, will no longer be able to afford to remain in the industry, and it will be left to the cheapest element.

I'm off out now. Have to see this bank! Wish me luck!

Is the reason you can't get the dole , not that your self employed & didn't pay into the PRSI system?

murphaph

HydeRoad wrote: »

Final post, I hung on just to see what reaction there'd be. I expected both sorts.

The difference between me and all you guys is, if you lose your job, you can sign on the dole straight away. I am having an awful time convincing them of my situation, and in the meantime I am living on thin air. I have no money whatsoever.

Taxi drivers, it seems, will never have respect. Some of them are their own worst enemy, and I hate being associated with them. Proper standards by a proper regulator might have seperated the genuine ones from the troublemakers.

But there are no standards. This regulator is as corrupt and deceitful as everything else in this rotten FF government. It's all lies and spin, from every side, the minister, the regulator, the drivers, the media.

Sorry paulm17781, didn't intend to single you out, you are far more articulate than some of the Neanderthal responses we get, and I know some taximen act like Neanderthals too. I'll just be glad to be away from it all, whatever happens. I support the protest for this reason, simply, that the regulators office stands for lies and deceit, and for anything but the kind of standards the industry is crying out for. Those that would have risen to the standards, will no longer be able to afford to remain in the industry, and it will be left to the cheapest element.

I'm off out now. Have to see this bank! Wish me luck!

Good luck and sincerest best wishes for you and yours.

andrewdeerpark

All self-employed people do not get dole until 12 months have past and then its means tested.

HydeRoad I am genuinely sorry for you current situation however their is a lot of people in your boat, as said in other posts life does not owe anyone a living you have to get out their every day and fight for your survival.

However it does seem you have been unlucky in your Taxi career however this downward spiral had to be happening over a prolonged period, perhaps you should have looked at corrective action sooner. Best of luck with the bank.

My points on the bad olde taxi days stand and I have heard or seen nothing to change my mind on that, we all have to do our best to survive however I do not see how recreating a heavily regulated taxi industry will only help a few.

At the very least recreating a tradable taxi license plate that can be sold and transferred as an asset must not be allowed ever happen again.

murphaph

andrewdeerpark wrote: »

At the very least recreating a tradable taxi license plate that can be sold and transferred as an asset must not be allowed ever happen again.

Absolutely. I would actually be in favour of no cost for the taxi plate at all (save for admin costs) and the barrier to entry being an ability to actually pass a knowledge test for the city you wish to work in, provide a much better minimum spec car and paint your car in a specific colour. This will discourage 'chancers' from dipping their toe unless they are serious.

This protest is what it is though-the placards tell the true story-the taximen want a cap on plates and nothing else. Sorry, no deal.

Karlmartini1

I'm a self employed computer engineer and business is terrible at the moment. Do you see me going on strike demanding a reduction in the number of computer engineers so I can make more money?

Being a taxi driver is simply another form of self employment and the rules of supply and demand should hold sway. The Irish government doesn't owe them a living (or anyone else for that matter). The taxi drivers blockaded Dublin airport years ago in protest at de-regulation. The public have never forgiven them for that. This was during a period that people had to walk 6 or more miles in the freezing rain on a Saturday night for want of a taxi. They made a mockery of our country with foriegn visitors and investors. Trevor Deegan went missing during a taxi strike and has never been seen since.

The mistake the government made was not limiting supply of licenses by insisting on higher standards of road knowledge etc.

I'd bet my left arm that the taxi men going on strike are mainly the origional 2000. The overweight foul-mouthed ones with BO, thick glasses and a yearning for the days unions held sway and kept the country poor. The ones who sit slightly off the rank at college green and when you ask for a taxi ride they want to know where you are going. Depending on where you say they may or may not be on a break.

The other issue is tax. How many drivers are honest in the tax they pay? The taxi meters should be inspected monthly and the drivers taxed accordingly. Their miliage should also be noted and referenced against the meters. It's an all-cash business for god sake. Who wouldn't take the piss.

Having said all that, the fee for becoming a taxi driver should be dropped to near zero and the test should be harder. The government should make that back with higher tax enforcement.

dcr22B

Karlmartini1 wrote: »

Trevor Deegan went missing during a taxi strike and has never been seen since.

It was actually Trevor Deely not Trevor Deegan.

I have watched this thread with interest as the son of a taxi driver who will not join in on the protests as he simply thinks they'll achieve nothing.

It's amazing to see how you're all quick to jump at the taxi drivers and tar them all with the same brush based on the various rabble rousers who are unfortunately seen as the public face of what is now a vastly overcrowded sector. I think you all need to forget about the bad old days of walking miles to get a taxi home (it's the past, there's not much you can do about it) and appreciate that EVERYONE has a right to protest. All the keyboard junkies hiding behind usernames just looking for an excuse to have a cut at taximen because of bad experiences in the past have to accept that.

My 2c.

dcr22B

Karlmartini1 wrote: »

The other issue is tax. How many drivers are honest in the tax they pay? The taxi meters should be inspected monthly and the drivers taxed accordingly. Their miliage should also be noted and referenced against the meters. It's an all-cash business for god sake. Who wouldn't take the piss.

That's where there is a need for REGULATION by the REGULATOR who simply isn't doing it's job at the moment.

Spook_ie

Karlmartini1 wrote: »

I'm a self employed computer engineer and business is terrible at the moment. Do you see me going on strike demanding a reduction in the number of computer engineers so I can make more money?

Being a taxi driver is simply another form of self employment and the rules of supply and demand should hold sway. The Irish government doesn't owe them a living (or anyone else for that matter). The taxi drivers blockaded Dublin airport years ago in protest at de-regulation. The public have never forgiven them for that. This was during a period that people had to walk 6 or more miles in the freezing rain on a Saturday night for want of a taxi. They made a mockery of our country with foriegn visitors and investors. Trevor Deegan went missing during a taxi strike and has never been seen since.

The mistake the government made was not limiting supply of licenses by insisting on higher standards of road knowledge etc.

I'd bet my left arm that the taxi men going on strike are mainly the origional 2000. The overweight foul-mouthed ones with BO, thick glasses and a yearning for the days unions held sway and kept the country poor. The ones who sit slightly off the rank at college green and when you ask for a taxi ride they want to know where you are going. Depending on where you say they may or may not be on a break.

The other issue is tax. How many drivers are honest in the tax they pay? The taxi meters should be inspected monthly and the drivers taxed accordingly. Their miliage should also be noted and referenced against the meters. It's an all-cash business for god sake. Who wouldn't take the piss.

Having said all that, the fee for becoming a taxi driver should be dropped to near zero and the test should be harder. The government should make that back with higher tax enforcement.

Well I sincerly hope that you're not left handed because you would have lost your arm, just for your information the protests have ( and still do ) drawn critism from the "union" leader Tommy ( all hail him ) Gorman who is the leader of the original Dublin Taxi drivers union, which for some reason that eludes me is called The National Taxi Drivers Union (NTDU), Now I know for a fact that a good percentage of the drivers on the protests so far are relative newcomers to the industry ( since dereg in 2000 ) and by far the majority are not union members ( Whoever heard of a union for self employed people!! )

Anyway to set a few points clear... The demand is for a cap on plates while the entire industry is reconstructed from the ground up, included in the rebuild would be looking at the removal of transferability of license plates, knowledge tests, vehicle standards, double jobbers, plate/taxi rental companies, minimum/maximum working hours, numeracy tests, English and/or Irish comprehension, allocation of the number of vehicles to suit the size of the town etc. Nothing has been ruled in or out of discussions but the 1st step is a cap on plates while it's sorted out....