Taxi driver protest

kajo

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

What does 'out of hand' mean? What were these 300 taxi drivers going to do if the protest got 'out of hand'?

If they (garda) removed any of the cars they would be replaced.

Does 'those in the industry' include the paying customer who seems quite happy with the amount of taxi's on the road.

You are wrong about that - customers are not happy with the amount of taxis as it now costs more to get from A to B because of the taxi traffic jams caused by over supply.
The fact is most people who complain about taxis don't use them or don't use them very often.
The people who use them support us 100% and i have never had anybody in my car say otherwise.

Zulu

Kajo: What is your problem with fair competition?

Skobe

This is the way most business works. Unless of course you are in a regulated area where competition is artifically restricted.

Zulu

Zulu wrote: »

What is your problem with fair competition?

The one thing you can be certain of folks, is that this question will continue to be avoided. Taxi drivers disrupted you because they don't want fair competition.
It's obscene greed.

It makes me sick to the pit of my stomach.

gdael

kajo wrote: »

You are wrong about that - customers are not happy with the amount of taxis as it now costs more to get from A to B because of the taxi traffic jams caused by over supply.
The fact is most people who complain about taxis don't use them or don't use them very often.
The people who use them support us 100% and i have never had anybody in my car say otherwise.

LOL.
Good one :rolleyes:

Taxipete29

koolkid wrote: »

What???? is it going to be illegal now to have 2 jobs???

No they are clamping down so they can hit these people for the tax they are not paying. Taxi driving would not be as attractive as a second job if these guys paid tax on their earnings.

KoolKid

And you have proof of that ofcourse. Like a good citizen I presume you have forwarded that information to the revenue.

confused-dazed

firstly.
anyone thats self employed basically takes a big gamble. it'll either take off, be reasonably profitable or worst case scinario close up. taxi drivers are no different. they set up their own business so to speak and now the out look is gloomy. why should they be so different to other businesses that have gone bust.most or alot of posters on boards have been stung by businesses going bust. in the taxi game you took the risk and it didn't pay off. well bud that tough.
secondly.
a national day of protest has been called for the 6th of november by I.C.T.U.
i suggest that everyone that goes on this protest should blockade every taxi rank throughout the country. they ****ed up the city for us and cost the retail trade over €10m.now lets see it they would lie down and take the punishment they dished out. by the way if we did this do you honestly think the guards would sit by and say "oh yeah go ahead". i think not.
ohhh yeah one final thing. i'm in a good paid job, yet i would to able to have a car similar to what these greedy bastards drive.
thanks terron, just read your post. my next move is to write to my local T.D. demanding answers as to why the riot police were not sent in.:D

gdael

Taxipete29 wrote: »

No they are clamping down so they can hit these people for the tax they are not paying. Taxi driving would not be as attractive as a second job if these guys paid tax on their earnings.

I know a a few people who drive taxis. One of them does it part time. He pays his tax. Actually he hires me to do his returns every year. And from what i can see he is making a hell of a lot more from the taxi than i hear the taxi drivers here claiming they make. I would nearly take it up myself after doing his accounts.

So you are ok with people double jobbing as long as they pay their taxes.
No problems there so. Glad you are reasonable on it.

Hootanany

Taxi men = Vultures
Public Sector = Vultures

2 off the most hated people of recent times oh and the present government

Taxipete29

koolkid wrote: »

And you have proof of that ofcourse. Like a good citizen I presume you have forwarded that information to the revenue.

Yes because I have access to part-time drivers personal financial records. Grow up. The only reason that this measure is being introduced is so the Government can make sure they are getting all the revenue they are due.

So you think they should get away without paying tax?? Or are you just looking to pick an argument??

Taxipete29

gdael wrote: »

I know a a few people who drive taxis. One of them does it part time. He pays his tax. Actually he hires me to do his returns every year. And from what i can see he is making a hell of a lot more from the taxi than i hear the taxi drivers here claiming they make. I would nearly take it up myself after doing his accounts.

So you are ok with people double jobbing as long as they pay their taxes.
No problems there so. Glad you are reasonable on it.

I have no problems with people doing 2 jobs as long as they

A, pay taxes on the income like the rest of us

B, Are permitted under the terms of their primary employment.

Oh and I never said every part-time driver didnt pay their tax.

gdael

Taxipete29 wrote: »

Yes because I have access to part-time drivers personal financial records. Grow up. The only reason that this measure is being introduced is so the Government can make sure they are getting all the revenue they are due.

So you think they should get away without paying tax?? Or are you just looking to pick an argument??

Well i have seen a part time drivers accounts and they are paying tax. How many have you seen? You cant go accusing people of not paying tax, just because you dont like them you know.

Gary ITR

kajo wrote: »

The people who use them support us 100% and i have never had anybody in my car say otherwise.

That's because it's best to just agree with a taxi driver. I used to use taxis a lot and I've stopped because all I hear is them bitching about how much they have to work to earn a wage. Probably while I'm being driven home at 4am from my second job. Taxi drivers aren't the only ones to have it hard you know.

And from somebody who works in Dublin City Centre thanks for making my commute hell on Thursday and Friday it was much appreciated

Taxipete29

gdael wrote: »

Well i have seen a part time drivers accounts and they are paying tax. How many have you seen? You cant go accusing people of not paying tax, just because you dont like them you know.

If they are all paying tax then fine, but I think you will find most are not. Do you honestly think this proposal would hold any interest for the Government if they didnt feel they were missing out on revenue.

You said you have seen one drivers accounts. How you translate this into " they are paying tax" is beyond me.

gdael

Taxipete29 wrote: »

If they are all paying tax then fine, but I think you will find most are not. Do you honestly think this proposal would hold any interest for the Government if they didnt feel they were missing out on revenue.

You said you have seen one drivers accounts. How you translate this into " they are paying tax" is beyond me.

Innocent until proven guilty. I hear the same crap about landlords not paying their tax all the time, with no evidence at all.

In case you dont realize it they are only saying they are going after them to keep the rest of the taxi drivers quiet. You protested, you got something. Thats all you're going to get Happy days for all.
There is no way in hell you can stop people from taking a second job. Especially a job that anyone at all can do.

Do you think they could spot them all in about 10 seconds by linking the taxi license database and the revenue database.
Its a simple job to do. Government 1 Taxi drivers 0 ... as usual.

gdael

Onkle wrote: »

That's because it's best to just agree with a taxi driver. I used to use taxis a lot and I've stopped because all I hear is them bitching about how much they have to work to earn a wage. Probably while I'm being driven home at 4am from my second job. Taxi drivers aren't the only ones to have it hard you know.

And from somebody who works in Dublin City Centre thanks for making my commute hell on Thursday and Friday it was much appreciated

Yes, thats what i do. Just agree with them. I dont even know what they are saying half the time. Its just not worth the ear ache not to agree with whatever they say when im in their taxi.

Id say 99% of the people in the back of a taxi dont give a toss about the drivers plight. The other 1% are probably taxi drivers.

KoolKid

Taxipete29 wrote: »

Yes because I have access to part-time drivers personal financial records. Grow up. The only reason that this measure is being introduced is so the Government can make sure they are getting all the revenue they are due.

So you think they should get away without paying tax?? Or are you just looking to pick an argument??

So you have no proof?? Don't you think then its you who needs to grow up & stop making wild accusations.

Taxipete29 wrote: »

I have no problems with people doing 2 jobs as long as they

A, pay taxes on the income like the rest of us

B, Are permitted under the terms of their primary employment.

Oh and I never said every part-time driver didnt pay their tax.

If these are the only drivers you wish to get rid of then why not take action & report them to the revelent authorities insted of trowing your toys out of your prams every time things are bad.
Every one is finding it hard. Everyones wages are down. So more than likely you will find more people working 2 jobs (or maybe 3) to make ends meet. They are putting in the hours to make a few euro to support themselves & their familys, fair play to them. Maybe the lazy taxi drivers could learn a thing or 2 from some real workers.

rubadub

kajo wrote: »

I did not see any problems with the Emergency Services but i did see some very helpful taxi drivers go out of their way to help the Emergency Services.

Why did the emergency services need help? due to the blockades? If so I would view them as being as "helpful" as a mugger giving a woman a bandage for her wounds after beating her to a bloody pulp, and if he apologised afterwards then it would make everything better.

Are there any other jobs that taximen think people should be forced into full time employment in? Or ones they should not be allowed to part time? Window cleaning perhaps, or general contract cleaning.

The fact is taxi driving is a low skill job requiring little training, similar to window cleaning or contract cleaning. I know a woman working in contract cleaning, like the taxi industry they have seen a large influx of foreign workers willing to work in their industry, it is a low skill job with little language skill required. Its all supply & demand I am sure people who have been contract cleaning for years have seen increased competition. You do NOT see them blockading the main street in the country in their cars.

If taxiing is such a bad career option then why so many new drivers? It should find its own natural levelling off with supply & demand, just like cleaners.

the bolt

Spook_ie wrote: »

Actualy you don't need to be a member of RECI to work in electrics in Ireland ( though it may well be desirable ) and as RECI would be the people looking for a time served aprenticeship your argument is again sunk......In other words I could ( if I so desired ) advertise my services as an electrician, even if I were color blind and didn't know my AC from my elbow :cool:

you could also advertise yourself as a spaceman(if you so desired) even a color blind one

blahblah06

rubadub wrote: »

The fact is taxi driving is a low skill job requiring little training, similar to window cleaning or contract cleaning. I know a woman working in contract cleaning, like the taxi industry they have seen a large influx of foreign workers willing to work in their industry, it is a low skill job with little language skill required. Its all supply & demand I am sure people who have been contract cleaning for years have seen increased competition. You do NOT see them blockading the main street in the country in their cars.

If taxiing is such a bad career option then why so many new drivers? It should find its own natural levelling off with supply & demand, just like cleaners.

you love reapeating yourself dont you rub. Well from your aspect maybe there are so many new drivers because as you say taxiing is a very low skilled job and all you have to do is pass a test maybe thats why so many people are getting into the game because there is nothing else out there. just like us current cab drivers who cant get a new job.

KoolKid

blahblah06 wrote: »

so many people are getting into the game because there is nothing else out there.

Then they are more stupid than I thought they were.
What businessman would invest in a car & pay hefty insurance to get into a business there is no profit in.???
Unbeliveable how thick some people are. How could you have sympathy for anyone that dumb!!!:D

blahblah06

because sure didnt you know kool taxi drivers clear 2 k a week easily sure thats what my mate said lol

KoolKid

blahblah06 wrote: »

because sure didnt you know kool taxi drivers clear 2 k a week easily sure thats what my mate said lol

ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I bow to you superior intellect & debating skills :rolleyes::rolleyes:

the bolt

uma wrote: »

i find it funny that you see no difference between regulation and deregulation and are basically saying that if you wanted deregulation when there were only 2.800 taxis in Dublin you should still have the same opinion when it has gone completly the other way at 16000 taxis !:D

and lets not forget all them hackney drivers too.

blahblah06

at the end of the day there getting into the game cause there not scroungers and dont wanna be on the dole fare play for making something of themselves. ive no prob with new full time drivers getting into the game as ive said before. its the part timers greedy gits that really annoy me

KoolKid

Ther really is no getting through to a taxi driver is there.
Answer the following if you can.

Why should Taxi drivers be given special treatment over any other business who are finding it difficult to make a profit.?
Why would any sane person stay running a business where they are losing money?
If there is no money to made is this business why would anyone be concerned about more people getting into the business?
If you owned a Spar & somebody opened a centra beside you. Would you class the owner of the Centra agreedy git because he owns another shop already?

PS .. I wouldn't consider lads driving a taxi as

making something of themselves

blahblah06

koolkid wrote: »

Ther really is no getting through to a taxi driver is there.
Answer the following if you can.

Why should Taxi drivers be given special treatment over any other business who are finding it difficult to make a profit.? NEVER SAID THEY HAD TO GET SPECIAL TREATMENT
Why would any sane person stay running a business where they are losing money? WHO SAYS WERE LOOSING MONEY OVERALL?
If there is no money to made is this business why would anyone be concerned about more people getting into the business? AS ABOVE
If you owned a Spar & somebody opened a centra beside you. Would you class the owner of the Centra agreedy git because he owns another shop already? WELL THAT DOESNT MAKE SENSE SO CANT ANSWER IT

PS .. I wouldn't consider lads driving a taxi as

Oh right so people that drive a cab are not making something of themselves by getting money to support there family rather than scrounge of the government.

good man yourself.

KoolKid

Still you managed to dodge all the questions yet again.
Doing an unskilled job & making no money (as ye keep saying) is not making something of yourself. How could it be.

Terrontress

kajo wrote: »

You for one should should look at your own business it is the likes of you and the people you work for that caused this country to go into recession.
You are the one that should be in prison and if i had my way the key would be lost for ever.

I did not see any problems with the Emergency Services but i did see some very helpful taxi drivers go out of their way to help the Emergency Services... just as we always do.

If you are aware of a crime that I have committed which deserves imprisonment then I'd suggest you make a report to the Gardai and have them deal with it.

Overheal

The business I was hired into over the summer ran a U-Haul department which I was brought on to run. When the dept. was first opened we were one of 3 in the zipcode and we brought in perhaps $900/wk Net which was enough money to keep the department self sufficient and siphon money into the primary business.

But the regional manager for U-Haul didn't stop there. Its U-Haul policy basically, to open as many locations as possible. By the time we had to shut down the business, we were 1 of 12 locations in the area and making just over $300/wk which was far below balance.

Short end of the story is In a market like U-Haul or the Taxi industry - where each unit is in business for themselves and each one is supplying a homogenous product - it is very easy for over-saturation to become an issue. In a completely open market for taxi's for example, you would begin to see record turnover - new drivers would come in, and squeeze out older drivers. Like a little motorized legion of half baked mcdonalds employees. Instead of having career drivers who become more experienced and more reputable, you get left with the Shady F*cker of the Week.

Im not sure that freezing licensing is the solution but definitely I would support more barriers to entry into the taxi industry to keep volume relatively sustainable. The last thing I would want to see is some scumlord be able to get a taxi license, and by next week be feeling up some passed out girl in his passenger seat, or something like that.

blahblah06

koolkid wrote: »

Still you managed to dodge all the questions yet again.
Doing an unskilled job & making no money (as ye keep saying) is not making something of yourself. How could it be.

my god you nut job. what are you talking about. were did i say we make no money ? read the bloody replys ffs

Why would any sane person stay running a business where they are losing money? WHO SAYS WERE LOOSING MONEY OVERALL?

also please show me were I said were not making money numerous of times as you say

John Mason

blahblah06 wrote: »

my god you nut job. what are you talking about. were did i say we make no money ? read the bloody replys ffs

Why would any sane person stay running a business where they are losing money? WHO SAYS WERE LOOSING MONEY OVERALL?

also please show me were I said were not making money numerous of times as you say

so if you are making money, what was the point of the protest?

Taxipete29

koolkid wrote: »

So you have no proof?? Don't you think then its you who needs to grow up & stop making wild accusations.



If these are the only drivers you wish to get rid of then why not take action & report them to the revelent authorities insted of trowing your toys out of your prams every time things are bad.
Every one is finding it hard. Everyones wages are down. So more than likely you will find more people working 2 jobs (or maybe 3) to make ends meet. They are putting in the hours to make a few euro to support themselves & their familys, fair play to them. Maybe the lazy taxi drivers could learn a thing or 2 from some real workers.

Where exactly did I throw my toys out of the pram. I wasnt protesting I was working, read my earlier post.

You asked about making it illegal to work 2 jobs and I merely told you what was going on. You then proceeded to babble on about proof and accusations.

Get it right, I am not defending taxi drivers. I am not complaining about my earnings and I am not looking to get rid of every part-timer.

You look down your nose at taxi drivers, its obvious from your posts. What you makes you so special that you have the right to look down your nose at anyone.??

Taxipete29

gdael wrote: »

Innocent until proven guilty. I hear the same crap about landlords not paying their tax all the time, with no evidence at all.

In case you dont realize it they are only saying they are going after them to keep the rest of the taxi drivers quiet. You protested, you got something. Thats all you're going to get Happy days for all.
There is no way in hell you can stop people from taking a second job. Especially a job that anyone at all can do.

Do you think they could spot them all in about 10 seconds by linking the taxi license database and the revenue database.
Its a simple job to do. Government 1 Taxi drivers 0 ... as usual.

Are you actually stupid, did you not read my earlier post.

I DIDNT PROTEST.

Nobody is trying to stop people taking a 2nd job, but there are plenty of jobs, many in the public and semi-state sector that dont allow it. Its against the terms of employment.

I said it earlier if your job permits it and you pay tax then by all means go out and earn a few extra quid. I dont have a problem with that at all. Where did I say I did??????

thebman

Overheal wrote: »

The business I was hired into over the summer ran a U-Haul department which I was brought on to run. When the dept. was first opened we were one of 3 in the zipcode and we brought in perhaps $900/wk Net which was enough money to keep the department self sufficient and siphon money into the primary business.

But the regional manager for U-Haul didn't stop there. Its U-Haul policy basically, to open as many locations as possible. By the time we had to shut down the business, we were 1 of 12 locations in the area and making just over $300/wk which was far below balance.

Short end of the story is In a market like U-Haul or the Taxi industry - where each unit is in business for themselves and each one is supplying a homogenous product - it is very easy for over-saturation to become an issue. In a completely open market for taxi's for example, you would begin to see record turnover - new drivers would come in, and squeeze out older drivers. Like a little motorized legion of half baked mcdonalds employees. Instead of having career drivers who become more experienced and more reputable, you get left with the Shady F*cker of the Week.

Im not sure that freezing licensing is the solution but definitely I would support more barriers to entry into the taxi industry to keep volume relatively sustainable. The last thing I would want to see is some scumlord be able to get a taxi license, and by next week be feeling up some passed out girl in his passenger seat, or something like that.

Agree with this, taxi drivers are their own worse enemy with regard to public opinion though.

The regulator like almost all Irish regulators is ineffective and needs to be tougher in insuring good standards for the industry. Our financial, energy, broadband and taxi regulators are all jokes. The current government just wants to remove responsibility from themselves but not place it on the regulator either so we stuck in a void in all these areas where, when problems arise we are told by politicians to talk to the regulator and by the regulator that they don't have the powers required and to talk to the politicians.

This goes back and forth until a new topic takes focus. Its ridiculous, ineffective and needs complete reform.

Taxipete29

thebman wrote: »

Agree with this, taxi drivers are their own worse enemy with regard to public opinion though.

The regulator like almost all Irish regulators is ineffective and needs to be tougher in insuring good standards for the industry. Our financial, energy, broadband and taxi regulators are all jokes. The current government just wants to remove responsibility from themselves but not place it on the regulator either so we stuck in a void in all these areas where, when problems arise we are told by politicians to talk to the regulator and by the regulator that they don't have the powers required and to talk to the politicians.

This goes back and forth until a new topic takes focus. Its ridiculous, ineffective and needs complete reform.

Couldnt agree more

blahblah06

irishbird wrote: »

so if you are making money, what was the point of the protest?

Look at the news to find out. Enough with stupid questions

Zulu

blahblah06 wrote: »

at the end of the day...

At the end of the day blahblah06 you are still avioding answering my question: what is your problem with fair trade?
Because, essentially, thats what you were protesting about.

population

blahblah06 wrote: »

Look at the news to find out. Enough with stupid questions

OK

Have read the papers, watched the news, listened to the radio and read this thread top to toe. What was the protest about???

gdael

blahblah06 wrote: »

Why would any sane person stay running a business where they are losing money? WHO SAYS WERE LOOSING MONEY OVERALL?

Taxipete29 wrote: »

I am not complaining about my earnings

Straight from the horses mouths.
No great revelation though. We always knew taxi driver werent in the poor house as they always like to claim. Its just good so see some taxi drivers admit it.

Ham'nd'egger

Zulu wrote: »

At the end of the day blahblah06 you are still avioding answering my question: what is your problem with fair trade?
Because, essentially, thats what you were protesting about.

One of the issues in the taxi trade is with unlicenced drivers, be they drivers who operate outside of the areas that they are allowed to drive or drivers who plain don't have a licence to operate. This ensures unfair trade in the industry and is one massive issue that is virtually unaddressed by the Regulators Office, mainly due to it's rule changes in 2006.

population

Overheal wrote: »

Like a little motorized legion of half baked mcdonalds employees. Instead of having career drivers who become more experienced and more reputable, you get left with the Shady F*cker of the Week

There were alot of 'shady f8ckers' in the business pre deregulation. Equally I had alot of abusive drivers not know where the hell they were going and overcharge me for their services after I waited for hours in the rain to try get home pre dergulation. Also you seem to equate length of time in a given industry with 'experienced and reputable'. So pre-deregulation, what reputation did taxi drivers have in this country??? I worked with electricians 20 years ago who were sh1te. Have bumped into some of them over the years and they are still sh1te. Wouldn't trust em to change a bulb.

Zulu

population wrote: »

OK

Have read the papers, watched the news, listened to the radio and read this thread top to toe. What was the protest about???

Fair trade: Taxi drivers are against it.

The taxi drivers are against fair trade and want to create a cartel/oligopoly so that they can control prices, ensuring they make plently of money without having to be competitive.

John Mason

blahblah06 wrote: »

Look at the news to find out. Enough with stupid questions

i asked a simple question

i have looked at the news, read the papers, and read all the threads.

according to everything i have read the protest was about the fact there were too many taxis and drivers werent making any money.

but you have just said you are making money, so anyway, i will ask you if the protest wasnt about money what was it about?

its a very simple question

KoolKid

irishbird wrote: »

i asked a simple question

i have looked at the news, read the papers, and read all the threads.

according to everything i have read the protest was about the fact there were too many taxis and drivers werent making any money.

but you have just said you are making money, so anyway, i will ask you if the protest wasnt about money what was it about?

its a very simple question

TBH none of the taxi drivers can not put up a decent argument on this.
They will not answer a straight question.
They say they are making no money & protest about it & then argue they are making money. If so you should be grateful in the current climate.
You have a job & are making money. What mre do you want???

gdael

Zulu wrote: »

Fair trade: Taxi drivers are against it.

The taxi drivers are against fair trade and want to create a cartel/oligopoly so that they can control prices, ensuring they make plently of money without having to be competitive Work.

Fixed it for you.

gdael

koolkid wrote: »

They say they are making no money

The taxi drivers in this thread say the opposite.

Spook_ie

Zulu wrote: »

Fair trade: Taxi drivers are against it.

The taxi drivers are against fair trade and want to create a cartel/oligopoly so that they can control prices, ensuring they make plently of money without having to be competitive.

I have tended to stay out of this thread since it's reincarnation, but I have to take you to task on that outright blatent untruth. The Taxi Regulator and before that the Councils control the price not the taxi drivers, that's why there's a sealed taximeter installed in legitimate taxis...

Ham'nd'egger

koolkid wrote: »

TBH none of the taxi drivers can not put up a decent argument on this.
They will not answer a straight question.
They say they are making no money & protest about it & then argue they are making money. If so you should be grateful in the current climate.
You have a job & are making money. What mre do you want???

Actually your "questions" (though in your case, it's more of a rant) has been answered dozens and dozens of times before; not just on here but on other forums, newspapers, media debates, etc etc. Why don't you go out and have a look for some of the answers to your questions, they are there in abundance.