Taxi Industry

veronica

As a full-time Taxi driver who like I believe all are struggling due to recession and over the top regulation from a public servant who has no time for Taxi drivers and who only interest is Revenue for the government should the Industry be only open to full-timers only?:pac:

howiya

veronica wrote: »

As a full-time Taxi driver who like I believe all are struggling due to recession and over the top regulation from a public servant who has no time for Taxi drivers and who only interest is Revenue for the government should the Industry be only open to full-timers only?:pac:

Most contradictory post I have seen in my short time on this website? You claim there is over regulation yet you want taxi drivers to have to submit time sheets to prove they are full-timers as you call them.

What if a mother wants to drive a taxi while her kids are at school? Should she not be allowed? One example of why self employed people should be allowed choose the hours they work

veronica

howiya wrote: »

Most contradictory post I have seen in my short time on this website? You claim there is over regulation yet you want taxi drivers to have to submit time sheets to prove they are full-timers as you call them.

What if a mother wants to drive a taxi while her kids are at school? Should she not be allowed? One example of why self employed people should be allowed choose the hours they work

I made no mention of time sheets just that anybody who has a second job state pension should not be allowed into the industry....one person one job.

howiya

veronica wrote: »

I made no mention of time sheets just that anybody who has a second job state pension should not be allowed into the industry....one person one job.

ok so you didnt mention timesheets but your proposal does involve additional regulation and you are complaining of over regulation

TirNaNog.

Who the hell do you think you are?
Ive never heard such bollox in other 'Industrys'
Let the part-timers learn their highly skilled trade,so they can become bitter zombies with a superiority complex
Ohhhhhhh learn how to use your indicators

veronica

from the 4th of jan this new year when you renew your licence you must submit the times you intend to work days or nights so the regulator are introducing a form of time sheets.All i want is an industry that has a level playing pitch..... but i am up against people who are taking my(full-time drivers) earning while they have other jobs and benefits.how can this be fair?

Pity about you. It's harsh, but there's no such thing as a lifetime career anymore. Do something else.

howiya

veronica wrote: »

from the 4th of jan this new year when you renew your licence you must submit the times you intend to work days or nights so the regulator are introducing a form of time sheets.All i want is an industry that has a level playing pitch..... but i am up against people who are taking my(full-time drivers) earning while they have other jobs and benefits.how can this be fair?

Why don't you leave the industry as you call it then?

veronica

howiya wrote: »

Why don't you leave the industry as you call it then?

why should i leave the industry should i leave it to others who have various other incomes.

murphaph

veronica wrote: »

from the 4th of jan this new year when you renew your licence you must submit the times you intend to work days or nights so the regulator are introducing a form of time sheets.All i want is an industry that has a level playing pitch..... but i am up against people who are taking my(full-time drivers) earning while they have other jobs and benefits.how can this be fair?

These folks obviously weren't earning enough from their other jobs so took up taxiing to supplement it. You aren't making enough from your job, so why not take up something else to supplement your wage?

It's not really an industry. It's part of the service industry, but taxi driving is not an 'industry' in the traditional sense.

amacachi

Get a second income then. Must be dead easy if so many are doing it.

veronica

murphaph wrote: »

These folks obviously weren't earning enough from their other jobs so took up taxiing to supplement it. You aren't making enough from your job, so why not take up something else to supplement your wage?

It's not really an industry. It's part of the service industry, but taxi driving is not an 'industry' in the traditional sense.

yes i agree they were supplementing their income for their second homes,cars,3 holidays a year so should i now pay for their greed during the celtic tiger and yes its an industry which brings in millions of revenue each year for this state.

howiya

veronica wrote: »

why should i leave the industry should i leave it to others who have various other incomes.

You're obviously unhappy with it so the question should be why would you stay? And as others have said it's not an industry.

The revenue you talk about taxi's generating for the state would be less if these doublejobbers stopped driving their taxi

veronica

howiya wrote: »

You're obviously unhappy with it so the question should be why would you stay? And as others have said it's not an industry.

The revenue you talk about taxi's generating for the state would be less if these doublejobbers stopped driving their taxi

i respect your view but as an outsider looking in...... you do not know and others who have posted so far what you are talking about. lets hear from people in the industry not people who have a chip on their shoulders with all taxi drivers.

AlekSmart

From the 4th of jan this new year when you renew your licence you must submit the times you intend to work days or nights so the regulator are introducing a form of time sheets

That Veronica is surely good news ?

This is the type of "Regulating" which the Office of Taxi Regulation should have begun with instead of wild eyed flights of fancy about window stickers and badges.

Quadrupling the number of cabs and simply allowing them all to ply their trade at the same time is just largely a silly self defeating exercise,as many are fast appreciating.

Ensuring that there is a well defined and flexible supply of cabs surely should not be impossible for a modern technology focused regulator such as ours.....(Yes ??)

Allowing every single one of Dublins 20,000 Cabs to form a queue along Dawson Street each night is not regulation at all...it`s insanity ??

veronica

AlekSmart wrote: »

That Veronica is surely good news ?

This is the type of "Regulating" which the Office of Taxi Regulation should have begun with instead of wild eyed flights of fancy about window stickers and badges.

Quadrupling the number of cabs and simply allowing them all to ply their trade at the same time is just largely a silly self defeating exercise,as many are fast appreciating.

Ensuring that there is a well defined and flexible supply of cabs surely should not be impossible for a modern technology focused regulator such as ours.....(Yes ??)

Allowing every single one of Dublins 20,000 Cabs to form a queue along Dawson Street each night is not regulation at all...it`s insanity ??

yes window stickers and badges are a joke with i believe 9 enforcers for the whole country have not seen one of these people in the last 3 years so if I had not bought a roof sign would have saved myself €7,000 and got away with it this is a regulator by name only.Taxi licences should be based on the number of available taxi ranks in each town and city and x by 3.

howiya

veronica wrote: »

i respect your view but as an outsider looking in...... you do not know and others who have posted so far what you are talking about. lets hear from people in the industry not people who have a chip on their shoulders with all taxi drivers.

I'll think you find that as a customer my opinion is more important than you think.

You are the one who appears to have a chip on your shoulder about taxi drivers with the second home, 3 holidays comments.

Whether you like it or not these people are as much taxi drivers as you are. The guy in the back of the car doesn't car whether you make ends meet at the end of the week or not. His primary care is that he is able to get home when he wants to go home and shouldn't have to wait for a taxi.

Taxis are a service. Is it not right that they should be waiting for their customers rather than the other way around?

We should all be concerned that double jobbing may lead to a drop in safety standards eg tiredness behind the wheel and for that reason the regulator should act but not because someone thinks they have a divine right to earn a living at driving a taxi.

If it doesn't pay the bills then do something else

veronica

howiya wrote: »

I'll think you find that as a customer my opinion is more important than you think.

You are the one who appears to have a chip on your shoulder about taxi drivers with the second home, 3 holidays comments.

Whether you like it or not these people are as much taxi drivers as you are. The guy in the back of the car doesn't car whether you make ends meet at the end of the week or not. His primary care is that he is able to get home when he wants to go home and shouldn't have to wait for a taxi.

Taxis are a service. Is it not right that they should be waiting for their customers rather than the other way around?

We should all be concerned that double jobbing may lead to a drop in safety standards eg tiredness behind the wheel and for that reason the regulator should act but not because someone thinks they have a divine right to earn a living at driving a taxi.

If it doesn't pay the bills then do something else

you see thats whats wrong with this society today every peron for themselves attitude what ever happened to fair play!

AARRRGH

I was in a taxi about a month ago and the taxi driver told me he only needs to work two days a week to pay for his weeks food and bills.

Note he was mortgage free, but only two days work a week for your food and bills ain't bad.

Another taxi driver told me (and he was so angry he was nearly spitting) how he now has to work a 5 day week. Previously he only had to work weekends.

So I do sometimes think if the taxi drivers complaints are based on the fact that they used to earn so much money. And I know for a fact that they used to earn so much money because my father used to give out mortgages and he was always talking about how much money they make.

veronica

AARRRGH wrote: »

I was in a taxi about a month ago and the taxi driver told me he only needs to work two days a week to pay for his weeks food and bills.

Note he was mortgage free, but only two days work a week for your food and bills ain't bad.

Another taxi driver told me (and he was so angry he was nearly spitting) how he now has to work a 5 day week. Previously he only had to work weekends.

So I do sometimes think if the taxi drivers complaints are based on the fact that they used to earn so much money. And I know for a fact that they used to earn so much money because my father used to give out mortgages and he was always talking about how much money they make.

everybodies circumstance is different but everyone in the last few years in various industries earned too much but this industry should only be for persons with a full tax clearence cert and only full time with no other wage or benefits.

AARRRGH

veronica wrote: »

everybodies circumstance is different but everyone in the last few years in various industries earned too much but this industry should only be for persons with a full tax clearence cert and only full time with no other wage or benefits.

I disagree.

We live in a capitalist country so everything is dictated by the market.

If something isn't working anymore (e.g. being a full-time taxi driver) then we should let that happen.

Having to force an industry to work is backwards.

This does make me chuckle, many of these part time taxi drivers were driving for full time taxi drivers that did not declare they are employing someone, nor did they pay employers PRSI, holiday pay or anything else. Obviously the income was also not declared. Recession comes along and the industry turns on the part timers.

All year we are listening to the taxi drivers bleat on about how they can't survive, if things are so bad why were so few working Stephen' Night, last weekend and last night here in Cork. It was impossible to get a cab. Any chap working would have taken in a right good nights wages. There was loads of them about during the days double parked as the designated taxi ranks were full. Unreal.

howiya

veronica wrote: »

everybodies circumstance is different but everyone in the last few years in various industries earned too much but this industry should only be for persons with a full tax clearence cert and only full time with no other wage or benefits.

Dublin cannot support 20,000 full time taxi drivers hence some of them are part time

veronica

veronica wrote: »

you see thats whats wrong with this society today every peron for themselves attitude what ever happened to fair play!

Oh the irony.

veronica

RoverJames wrote: »

This does make me chuckle, many of these part time taxi drivers were driving for full time taxi drivers that did not declare they are employing someone, nor did they pay employers PRSI, holiday pay or anything else. Obviously the income was also not declared. Recession comes along and the industry turns on the part timers.

All year we are listening to the taxi drivers bleat on about how they can't survive, if things are so bad why were so few working Stephen' Night, last weekend and last night here in Cork. It was impossible to get a cab. Any chap working would have taken in a right good nights wages. There was loads of them about during the days double parked as the designated taxi ranks were full. Unreal.

Well i worked last day&night here in Cork yesterday from 8am thurday to 4am friday and was back out today from 10am to 6pm because of the over supply of taxis with double jobbers army/navy/garda with state pensions.

veronica

AARRRGH wrote: »

I disagree.

We live in a capitalist country so everything is dictated by the market.

If something isn't working anymore (e.g. being a full-time taxi driver) then we should let that happen.

Having to force an industry to work is backwards.

But can't you see the market is over supplied it's like having one street of McDonalds in every city and town in the country they all could not survive.

howiya

veronica wrote: »

Well i worked last day&night here in Cork yesterday from 8am thurday to 4am friday and was back out today from 10am to 6pm because of the over supply of taxis with double jobbers army/navy/garda with state pensions.

That is just as unsafe as somebody working monday to friday and then getting behind the wheel of a taxi. You are a disgrace who's only concern is the money in your pocket rather than the safety of your passengers and other road users

Your problem lies with the people who owns the taxis, I would imagine they are not above board in employing these double jobbers, it wouldn't be worth anyones while driving a cab for 40% of what they would pull in a shift and then to lose nearly 50% of that in tax (I presume all Guards and Navy folk would be earning enough to put any extra earnings in the higher tax bracket).

You must have cleaned up last night in fairness though Veronica, there was hardly any taxi drivers about. I earned €150 in my own private car over 7 short spins.

............ only joking about the last bit

Capt'n Midnight

TirNaNog. wrote: »

Ohhhhhhh learn how to use your indicators

http://www.penaltypoints.ie/vehicle_offences.php

Using vehicle with no directional indicators 1 or 3 points

USING YOUR HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS MEANS YOU HAVE NO FUNCTIONAL DIRECTIONAL INDICATORS

and besides with that big TAXI sign on the roof we already know you will drive eratically , are likely to stop without warning and there are likely to be people walking to/from the car


also stop driving in the middle lane on the Lucan Bypass when there is both an empty Bus lane and driving lane to your left.
/RANT

AARRRGH

veronica wrote: »

But can't you see the market is over supplied it's like having one street of McDonalds in every city and town in the country they all could not survive.

I agree it's oversupplied, and I do have sympathy for you.

But if loads of people started getting computer science degrees (I work in IT) I wouldn't call for a limit on the number of computer science college places because I think that would be unfair, and overall I don't think it would be good for the Ireland, even if it would be good for me.

veronica

RoverJames wrote: »

Your problem lies with the people who owns the taxis, I would imagine they are not above board in employing these double jobbers, it wouldn't be worth anyones while driving a cab for 40% of what they would pull in a shift and then to lose nearly 50% of that in tax (I presume all Guards and Navy folk would be earning enough to put any extra earnings in the higher tax bracket).

You must have cleaned up last night in fairness though Veronica, there was hardly any taxi drivers about. I earned €150 in my own private car over 7 short spins.

What you did last night was illegal and you should donate this €150 to some charity as you are no better then sombody taken money from somebodies pocket/handbag. you my friend are no better then a common.....well you know the rest.You think anybody enjoys working these hours i did in the last two days I had no choice but to do so no one likes to be away from their family New Years eve unless they have no choice

RoverJames

RoverJames wrote: »

............ only joking about the last bit

I knew that would boil your p1ss Veronica I also knew you would be straight at the reply button before seeing my next post

veronica

RoverJames wrote: »

I knew that would boil your p1ss Veronica I also knew you would be straight at the reply button before seeing my next post

well i'm glad that i have entertained you this evening maybe i should do a one man show at the opera house on taxi drivers as people appear to get a kick out of our misfortune!This Taxi driver has left the building..thank u.

steph1

Well as a taxi driver myself I work what hours I want. Mostly I work nights but sometimes I would work a few hours in the day if it suited me. We are self employed people and business people and I think its no business of the regulator what hours people are working. My business operates from the mobile phone so if its turned on I'm working and if its not then people will ring somebody else. Most of my regular customers are out at night so thats why I work nights.
Just because somebody is on a pension does not mean that its a big fat one. Remember people retire from jobs for a variety of reasons and if they want to drive a taxi part-time thats their own business and once they are making a return to revenue I dont have a problem with that.
I worked in offices years ago and the pay was crap and I had to do a couple of nights in a pub to supplement my income. In these times people may only half three day week jobs and they need to pay their mortgage their bills look after their families and they will do what it takes to do that. I know people who have two and three jobs all days here and there but thats what they have to do.

murphaph

veronica wrote: »

Well i worked last day&night here in Cork yesterday from 8am thurday to 4am friday and was back out today from 10am to 6pm because of the over supply of taxis with double jobbers army/navy/garda with state pensions.

:eek: again :eek:

You worked a straight SIXTEEN HOUR shift and then after just 5 hours sleep (assuming 1 hour to get home, get to bed, get up the next morning and get back out of the house took less than an hour, giving you the benefit of the doubt here) you proceeded to work another full day. The regulator should be ensuring nobody does what you do anyway. Being tired is just as bad as being drunk behind the wheel. Umpteen studies have proven this. I'd prefer to drive myself home after a skinkful than let you take me at 4am tbh.

Joey the lips

With due respect to taxi drivers and there struggle i think its all tripe.

My neighbour works 9-1 in a childcare job then comes home and works 2-6 in a local shop at the weekend she also does a couple of hours in the local pub.

All because she is on min wage and cannot pay the rent without doing this. Now my neighbour is a lone parent and go's out to work these hours because she wants to contribute. She could happily live off the state.

Surly she deserves as much help as a taxi driver.

My father worked for years collecting and segmenting scrap metal. It tore the hands from him. It gave him various illnesses. He did it because he knew it well not becaue he wanted to do it.

As a taxi driver you can carry on like my dad. Or you can possibly look at upskilling but I have more respect for the women in my first paragraph than any taxi driver.

I spent many nights walking home in dublin because taxi's would not stop for a single lad or couple of lads.

This and bullyboy strikeing does not help your plight with me..

I am sorry for your pain but we are all in hard times.

steph1

I presume and I sincerely hope that you took breaks of some description. You must have taken at least an hour off somewhere to go home, eat, watch a bit of TV feed the kids the pets whatever. I love driving but there is no way that any driver could or even should do those sorts of hours. Business is down there is no doubt about that. I work in the West of Ireland an area that has been hit very hard with the recession. I did a stint there a few weeks ago where I worked ten nights in a row but only went out around 10pm at night and usually finished up around 4.30-5am. And I was even wrecked after that stint even though it does appear that I did not do a lot of hours but I made enough money during those days to keep me going and pay my bills etc. Then I ended up getting the flu and had to take another 5 days off. They are crazy hours to do. I certainly would not like to be in your taxi. Are you sure you did those hours or are you just winding us up?

bob50

Hi Veronica This is not a "industry" as you call it its only a service

I really do think deregulation was the right way to go in this service Any Taxi drivers ive spoken to will tell you you will make a living if you put in the hours unlike the past when there was only 3000 approx taxi cabs on the streets and you couldnt get a taxi for love nor money at the weekends

Joey the lips

Joey the lips wrote: »

My neighbour works 9-1 in a childcare job then comes home and works 2-6 in a local shop at the weekend she also does a couple of hours in the local pub.

.

Who minds the kids while she is doing all these hours

veronica

steph1 wrote: »

I presume and I sincerely hope that you took breaks of some description. You must have taken at least an hour off somewhere to go home, eat, watch a bit of TV feed the kids the pets whatever. I love driving but there is no way that any driver could or even should do those sorts of hours. Business is down there is no doubt about that. I work in the West of Ireland an area that has been hit very hard with the recession. I did a stint there a few weeks ago where I worked ten nights in a row but only went out around 10pm at night and usually finished up around 4.30-5am. And I was even wrecked after that stint even though it does appear that I did not do a lot of hours but I made enough money during those days to keep me going and pay my bills etc. Then I ended up getting the flu and had to take another 5 days off. They are crazy hours to do. I certainly would not like to be in your taxi. Are you sure you did those hours or are you just winding us up?

Yes yes i did these hours took two hours break to eat at home but have no choice if i did not i would go under.

Joey the lips

RoverJames wrote: »

Who minds the kids while she is doing all these hours

Her sister lives with her. I think she pays the rent on both. Why is this an issue. Do you doubt the sincere nature or my story.

veronica

Joey the lips wrote: »

With due respect to taxi drivers and there struggle i think its all tripe.

My neighbour works 9-1 in a childcare job then comes home and works 2-6 in a local shop at the weekend she also does a couple of hours in the local pub.

All because she is on min wage and cannot pay the rent without doing this. Now my neighbour is a lone parent and go's out to work these hours because she wants to contribute. She could happily live off the state.

Surly she deserves as much help as a taxi driver.

My father worked for years collecting and segmenting scrap metal. It tore the hands from him. It gave him various illnesses. He did it because he knew it well not becaue he wanted to do it.

As a taxi driver you can carry on like my dad. Or you can possibly look at upskilling but I have more respect for the women in my first paragraph than any taxi driver.

I spent many nights walking home in dublin because taxi's would not stop for a single lad or couple of lads.

This and bullyboy strikeing does not help your plight with me..

I am sorry for your pain but we are all in hard times.

your neighbour is entitlied to all state benefits if god forbid she get ill or loses her job. I am self employed pay tax like her but entilied to nothing!

mikemac

Seriously Veronica you are putting yourself and your fare paying customers at risk working those hours.

You complain about double jobbers working their main job and then doing a few hours taxiing. And the taxi lobbyists often say there should not be part-timers as they will be tired after working their full-time jobs.
But the crazy shifts you are doing is no safer and you're supposed to be a "professional" driver. You're worse then they are!

Realy, I'd prefer not to get your cab. As murphaph said, driving when tried can be dangerous as driving drunk

Joey the lips

veronica wrote: »

your neighbour is entitlied to all state benefits if god forbid she get ill or loses her job. I am self employed pay tax like her but entilied to nothing!

That side i do genuinely understand. I am in that position. Kinda...but like i say the industry is a choice. My father made choices as well. In the end the min for environment prevented him burning copper. He is in the minority I dont see anyone fighting or understanding him and there is no doubt he worked hard.

veronica

murphaph wrote: »

:eek: again :eek:

You worked a straight SIXTEEN HOUR shift and then after just 5 hours sleep (assuming 1 hour to get home, get to bed, get up the next morning and get back out of the house took less than an hour, giving you the benefit of the doubt here) you proceeded to work another full day. The regulator should be ensuring nobody does what you do anyway. Being tired is just as bad as being drunk behind the wheel. Umpteen studies have proven this. I'd prefer to drive myself home after a skinkful than let you take me at 4am tbh.

I'm sorry to inform you that this is the case for many other taxi drivers who have no choice but to do these hours!

veronica

veronica wrote: »

your neighbour is entitlied to all state benefits if god forbid she get ill or loses her job. I am self employed pay tax like her but entilied to nothing!

You pay tax like her but you do not pay anything towards the dole fund, that is what employers PRSI pays into, I like you am self employed and was out of work for 3 months in 2007 and had to keep body and soul together from my own finances. Self employed folk who harp on about "entitled to nothing" do irk me. As you say, you are not entitled to it. The PRSI you pay goes towards your state pension.

veronica

RoverJames wrote: »

You pay tax like her but you do not pay anything towards the dole fund, that is what employers PRSI pays into, I like you am self employed and was out of work for 3 months in 2007 and had to keep body and soul together from my own finances. Self employed folk who harp on about "entitled to nothing" do irk me. As you say, you are not entitled to it. The PRSI you pay goes towards your state pension.

We have all been out of work and had to use our own finances. I paid 30 years as a paye worker and am still entitlied to nothing yet someone can come into this country work two years entilied to everything.Where did my 30 years go?

RasTa

veronica wrote: »

We have all been out of work and had to use our own finances. I paid 30 years as a paye worker and am still entitlied to nothing yet someone can come into this country work two years entilied to everything.Where did my 30 years go?

Oh stop moaning in fairness. What exactly do you want?

mikemac

RasTa wrote: »

What exactly do you want?

Deregulation so drivers can buy a cheaper taxi plate.
But the day after they buy they demand regulation to limit any new entrants

veronica

mikemac wrote: »

Deregulation so drivers can buy a cheaper taxi plate.
But the day after they buy they demand regulation to limit any new entrants

ONE PERSON ONE JOB....NO PART-TIMERS...NO STATE BENEFITS..JUST FAIRNESS!