Taxi driver strike

amacachi

PCPhoto wrote: »

so why complain !!! ..... if you are not part of the solution - YOU are part of the problem.

As far as I'm concerned - Taxi Drivers have been complaining and whining like nurses and teachers (just before the budget) - its not fair why is it us that has to suffer .... the answer is ...everyone else has already suffered - now its your turn.

I'm not a taxi driver so it's not my responsibility to look after the livelihood of anyone else as far as I'm concerned.

Amalgam

badinfleunce wrote: »

You see the travelling public cried out for taxis for years - now Dublin has a taxi fleet superceeding that of New york and the public want this as a virtually free service. - Typical - Lesson to be learned you get nothing for nothing in this life!

In numbers maybe, but not in quality. I would like to see happening here, what takes place in Europe (parts of Germany for instance), basically, taxis can only be a set number of car makes or models. I also want to see rigid standards for everyone, not just 'new' drivers, which seems to be a mantra of established drivers around Dublin.

I caught a Taxi about twice a week for years, buses suit me fine now. I just cannot support, in any capacity, the mindset responsible for the current protests.

KoolKid

congo_90 wrote: »

Who here thinks we should block the taxi ranks in protest of public v ignorant taxi drivers? A national "don't use a taxi,use anything else".

Ill be right there with you congo.:D

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

KoolKid

badinfleunce wrote: »

You wouldnt have the ability!

As opposed to the skill involved in driving a taxi.:rolleyes:

ElBarco

congo_90 wrote: »

Who here thinks we should block the taxi ranks in protest of public v ignorant taxi drivers? A national "don't use a taxi,use anything else".

We should back it up with a policy of never letting a taxi driver out at a junction - go for the complete treat them just like they treat us.

I must point out that I'm just sick of taxi drivers thinking it's ok to shut down large parts of the country - if you want to protest just withdraw your labour without denying people the option of using other forms of transport.

hmmm

Are the guards again milling around with their hands in their pockets?

LionelNashe

hmmm wrote: »

Are the guards again milling around with their hands in their pockets?

Beside the Abbey St junction at 5.45 there were more cops than taxis. Just standing around seeing who has the most luminous jacket.

2qk4u

Its seems to me that there are a lot of people here who know nothing about the taxi industry and are just full of hate. none of you have a problem when you are gettin home in a taxi at 4 am pissed and druged out of your heads.

I cant pay my mortgage, or my loan, or my bills. My wife is so stressed she keeps crying, im fed up telling my kids they cant have anything, ive been put on medication because I cant sleep due to the stress.

I have applied for all kinds of jobs with no luck and told to go away by the walfare, I have nothing left.

Im sorry if the protest delays you for a while on your way home from your good job with your salary. If you were in the same position as me you would protest too.

Amalgam

What's there to know..?

A taxi driver provides a service, in exchange for cash, to ferry people from point A to point B.

The Muppet

I fully support the taxi drivers actions today, I have no vested interest but I believe that the way they have been treated is dreadful. Something had to be done to improve the situation but the regulator went too far. I support their right to peaceful protest even if it does inconvenience me.

gurramok

The Muppet wrote: »

I fully support the taxi drivers actions today, I have no vested interest but I believe that the way they have beeen treated is dreadful. Something had to be done to improve the situation but the regulator went too far. I support their right to peaceful protest even if it does inconvenience me.

And do this to the public? This is what I witnessed on just one street this evening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAXM5IsnOd8

highdef

congo_90 wrote: »

Who here thinks we should block the taxi ranks in protest of public v ignorant taxi drivers? A national "don't use a taxi,use anything else".

I'll be right there with you on this one. If we get a couple of dozen of us to park up in the taxi ranks, we'll be doing a good job of protesting against the disruptive taxi drivers without blocking the public lanes Going by todays protest and the previous ones, the guards will do feck all about it. The media would have to be informed of the protest beforehand though....I'm sure they'd have a field day

The Muppet

gurramok wrote: »

And do this to the public? This is what I witnessed on just one street this evening.

I blame the Government for allowing it get to this, they think they can decimate peoples livlihoods and people will just accept it. Did you read the post below from 2qk4u, is it fair that his income has been so badly effected by mis managememnt of the issue by the regulator? So yes I don't like it but I'm prepared to sit in traffic for while in support of a guy that is just trying to make a living for himself and his family.

I know that won't be the popular view in post celtic tiger Ireland where looking after no 1 is primary objective.

Its seems to me that there are a lot of people here who know nothing about the taxi industry and are just full of hate. none of you have a problem when you are gettin home in a taxi at 4 am pissed and druged out of your heads.

I cant pay my mortgage, or my loan, or my bills. My wife is so stressed she keeps crying, im fed up telling my kids they cant have anything, ive been put on medication because I cant sleep due to the stress.

I have applied for all kinds of jobs with no luck and told to go away by the walfare, I have nothing left.

congo_90

badinfleunce wrote: »

When are you leading your march Congo? Id love to see it. Its easy sat behind your screen hiding and shouting your mouth off but what id really like to see is someone like you with such a loud voice actually do what you are suggesting to do..............So when can we expect to see you lead your march and block in the taxi drivers? .............. You wouldnt have the ability or the balls!

By all means badinfluence,
I'll be out. I'll be out with as many people blocking as many taxi ranks within the next 2 weeks. See how it feels to wreck your heads oh and compare your earnings to today's of course

highdef wrote: »

I'll be right there with you on this one. If we get a couple of dozen of us to park up in the taxi ranks, we'll be doing a good job of protesting against the disruptive taxi drivers without blocking the public lanes Going by todays protest and the previous ones, the guards will do feck all about it. The media would have to be informed of the protest beforehand though....I'm sure they'd have a field day

Careful now. The gards don't like us average joe salt of the earth. We'll have the book thrown at us! I plan to just use people and banners to blockade taxi's entering or leaving.

Of course the media would be informed a few days in advance to spice it up banners to be made and must make a facebook group on this..

Seriously. We CANNOT allow these cronies to bully us and stop us from living our lives.
It's one thing to protest. It's another to disrupt:

• The general public
• Dublin bus
• Bus Eireann
• Luas
• Tourists
• Honest taxi drivers
• Commuters

The list goes on! So who is with me?
how much money was lost in taxes etc from business and transport not able to take on fares or people stuck without any transport?
We'll go from "keyboard warrior" status to realistic.

The Muppet

congo_90 wrote: »

By all means badinfluence,
I'll be out. I'll be out with as many people blocking as many taxi ranks within the next 2 weeks. See how it feels to wreck your heads oh and compare your earnings to today's of course



Careful now. The gards don't like us average joe salt of the earth. We'll have the book thrown at us! I plan to just use people and banners to blockade taxi's entering or leaving.

Of course the media would be informed a few days in advance to spice it up banners to be made and must make a facebook group on this..

Seriously. We CANNOT allow these cronies to bully us and stop us from living our lives. This is against our constitutional right of freedom of movement.

It's one thing to protest. It's another to disrupt:

• The general public
• Dublin bus
• Bus Eireann
• Luas
• Tourists
• Honest taxi drivers
• Commuters

The list goes on! So who is with me?

We'll go from "keyboard warrior" status to realistic.

Grow up.

AlekSmart

Are the guards again milling around with their hands in their pockets?

This,for me,remains the bigger issue today.

I can see that some Taxi drivers are legitimately involving themselves in protest,however I can also see,should I walk slightly further along O Connell St that some are quite prepared to work,and are doing just that.

The issue of what orders are being given by Senior Garda Authorities is the REAL important one.
I was present In OC St when the protest percolated down from the Airport.
It`s noteable that much of the disaffection appears to stem from those Taxi Drivers who are Airport Permit holders.

The Gardai have for decades now tended to err on the side of "Observing" situations which usually tend to fizzle out by themselves due to bad weather or football on the telly.

Just about the only protests where this tactic failed was the many 1970`s & 80`s Provisional IRA support demo`s where usually a handful of protestors would comprehensively disrupt Dublin Traffic by sitting in a line across OC Bridge.
These protests,which endured for some years,were backed by a dedication to a cause which,frankly,the Taxi protesters cannot muster.

The Taxi Drivers really do need to get their protest stuff sorted,such as making themselves aware of high profile events such as President McAleese`s Official Duties and Wreath Laying in the Garden of Rememberance yesterday.
Now here was a protest opportunity which would have gotten the Taxi Drivers worldwide publicity on as many Media organs as you could count......but hey...lets pick a quiet day when only the ordinary decent criminals are around to be disrupted.

There is little doubt but the Office of Taxi Regulation has made quite a mess of it`s mandate.

Whereas many ordinary punters had hopes of a Regulator actually....well,erm....Regulating,what they/we got was a wild setup which expended vast amounts of money & energy on crackpot hi-viz "initiatives" such as window stickers,cards,badges and other bits of bling.

Meantime,back on the ranch,the same "Regulator" did not have the resources to investigate avenues such as vehicle standardization,resource deployment and on-street facilities.

For a Regulator to simply tip a 30 Tonne truckload of new taxi licences and then walk away without even investigation the issue of rank-space remains an issue of (in)competence.

Equally to preside over a reduction in numbers of Garda PSV inspectors in the Capital when their new improved replacements had neither the facilities or power remains the stuff of Laurel&Hardy rather than a 21st Century professional administrative setup.

It`s more than apparent that the Office of Taxi Regulation as a viable entity has collapsed,but instead of learning from that Mr Cowen and the Lads appear to simply want to dig a deeper hole.....ah well at least it`s providing a bit of employment in the grave-digging sector :rolleyes:

southjam

I feel sorry for people like "2qk4u", but the Taxi industry is taking the piss to have the arrogance to think they can just block up the city, but I suppose they do it on a regular basis and the rules of the road don't apply to them.

Everyone has the right to protest but making the city come to a standstill is unacceptable, the cops should be lifting cars especially if they are blocking the luas lines.

Stop moaning and get back to work, as your customers are not impressed and without customers you have no business,

I for one in light of today's actions am going to limit or if possible stop using taxis for the foreseeable future. I call on other people to do the same

Redsoxfan

gurramok wrote: »

And do this to the public? This is what I witnessed on just one street this evening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAXM5IsnOd8

Was that a GATSO van at around 0.23 in?

furiousox

Do they seriously expect any public support when they behave like this?
Any chance of sympathy from the public is all but gone at this stage due to their actions.

Ham'nd'egger

gurramok wrote: »

And do this to the public? This is what I witnessed on just one street this evening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAXM5IsnOd8

Errrrr, that is what traffic is like most evenings leaving the IFSC

parsi

gurramok wrote: »

And do this to the public? This is what I witnessed on just one street this evening.

What's your camera setup ?

jd83

southjam wrote: »

I feel sorry for people like "2qk4u", but the Taxi industry is taking the piss to have the arrogance to think they can just block up the city, but I suppose they do it on a regular basis and the rules of the road don't apply to them.

Everyone has the right to protest but making the city come to a standstill is unacceptable, the cops should be lifting cars especially if they are blocking the luas lines.

Stop moaning and get back to work, as your customers are not impressed and without customers you have no business,

I for one in light of today's actions am going to limit or if possible stop using taxis for the foreseeable future. I call on other people to do the same

Im the exact same, I used to use taxi's a lot. After what I saw in town today getting a taxi will be a last resort for me, id sooner walk home than give the scumbags i saw on o connell street today any money. Gardai should have brought in tow trucks and moved cars blocking the road and arrested anybody who tried to stop them.

MJohnston

I generally sympathise with the taxi drivers in their aims for protest (although not all of them) but the method of protest is just absolutely stupid. As well as completely snarling up every other form of public transport and traffic, they'll just have convinced a few thousand more people to hate them and their cause, without even having to understand it, might I add - it doesn't work that way. To block roads and LUAS tracks completely, without any notice at all, is just reckless, no defence for it at all imo. And I'm a rail user whose journey home wasn't affected whatsoever by this action.

Andrew33

parsi wrote: »

Drivers outside Cork Airport are intimidating other taxi-drivers entering the airport.

I got treated to a bit of verbal abuse by a group of muppets (protesting drivers) at Dublin airport today when dropping off a fare, they were standing up on departures ramp intimidating drivers who were just dropping passengers!
WTF are they protesting about now??
I did all the marches last year, it got us very little. Only pressure from the orachtas commitee got any changes.

I suspect most of the protesters are only in the biz since de reg anyway!
Get over it lads and get on with it! there's 400'000 people out there in a lot worse position then you are.

Terrontress

ElBarco wrote: »

We should back it up with a policy of never letting a taxi driver out at a junction - go for the complete treat them just like they treat us.

No, they make good money with the meter racking up when they are at junctions.

The thing to do is to always let out a taxi when you see more than one person in it.

oisindoyle

I read a comment which makes sense...

"No reasonable dialogue ,leads to unreasonable behaviour"

There would be NO protesting if the TR and Dept of Trans,sat down and talked and implemented the OJTC recommendations ...
Its THAT simple

oisindoyle

Terrontress wrote: »

No, they make good money with the meter racking up when they are at junctions.

The thing to do is to always let out a taxi when you see more than one person in it.

LOLOLOL Thats the sillist ,ill informed , Idiotic statement I ever heard .

Andrew33

Plus drivers want the 9 yr rule looked at again and also the Taxi Regulator has reduced from 5 yrs to 3 yrs the time a taxi drivers licence is to be re newed ,She also increased the fee from 3 euro to 250 euro ...an increase of approx 8000%.No industry would put up with that unjustifiable increase

Rubbish! I just got mine renewed and it is valid until 2015.

KoolKid

2qk4u wrote: »

I cant pay my mortgage, or my loan, or my bills. My wife is so stressed she keeps crying, im fed up telling my kids they cant have anything, ive been put on medication because I cant sleep due to the stress.

I have applied for all kinds of jobs with no luck and told to go away by the walfare, I have nothing left.

I am sorry if thats the situation you find yourself in. But there are a lot more people in the country in the same boat. Probobly worse off than you.
After all you have a potential means of making money. There was a great opportunity for you to make good money for you & your family today. Why did you not take that opportunity & do something good? At the end of the day it not the responsibility of the government to bail out every failing businessman in the country.
Please explain to me why taxi drivers feel they are special in this regard.
We have had this debate many times on Boards but I have never got a sensible answer to that.

ElBarco

Terrontress wrote: »

No, they make good money with the meter racking up when they are at junctions.

The thing to do is to always let out a taxi when you see more than one person in it.

A fine evolution of the plan.

People give out about people on the internet all the time but my faith has been restored - the people of Ireland can constructively work together! There is hope for us all yet.

ElBarco

oisindoyle wrote: »

LOLOLOL Thats the sillist ,ill informed , Idiotic statement I ever heard .

You've lived a sheltered life - I'd suggest staying away from that taxi driver website - you'd be shocked

MJohnston

oisindoyle wrote: »

I read a comment which makes sense...

"No reasonable dialogue ,leads to unreasonable behaviour"

There would be NO protesting if the TR and Dept of Trans,sat down and talked and implemented the OJTC recommendations ...
Its THAT simple

Its not really that simple at all, tell me how any of that excuses blocking traffic? Should Aer Lingus staff protest by blocking the runway, or should the Dublin hospital staff and SIPTU stop non-striking staff from performing emergency work? Oh yeah, and should they also do it without any warning at all? Because thats unreasonable behaviour, yet you seem to be saying that its okay if you've been ignored.

Even if you don't buy that, you've got to be mad to think that a preplanned protest with lots of advanced publicity and therefore less disruptive effect, wouldn't be more advantageous to everyone involved. More publicity for the taxi drivers, less pissed off folks on the street, less people who figure out alternate ways to get around the city.

Andrew33

Would it be beyond taxi drivers to maybe start competing with each other? eg offering discounts etc.

Its not up to drivers to start competing on fares, plus we're not allowed advertise or tout for biz.
The regulator(in her wisdom) whacked the fares upwards back in 2008 at the start of this recession when 89% of people IN the industry urged her not to implement the increase, when drivers said they wouldn't go to the expense of getting meters recalibrated and they'd stick with the old lower fares, every driver got a letter almost threatening them with legal action if they did not get their meters done.
Regulator now should cut fares by 50% and this might encourage more people to use taxis and drivers would be busier but she won't because then taxis would be TOO competitive against semi state public transport and we couldn't have that!

oisindoyle

Andrew33 wrote: »

Rubbish! I just got mine renewed and it is valid until 2015.

No its NOT rubbish ..You got in before it is being implemented ,which is from Jan 2011 ...ALL licences will only be 3 year....FACT

gurramok

Hamndegger wrote: »

Errrrr, that is what traffic is like most evenings leaving the IFSC

Nope, its never that bad. Perhaps a quarter of that does be backed up from Five Lamps all the way to the river on a regular evening, all slowly moving. That queue in the video was stretched all the way to the new Samuel Beckett bridge, all stuck.

Andrew33

oisindoyle wrote: »

No its NOT rubbish ..You got in before it is being implemented ,which is from Jan 2011 ...ALL licences will only be 3 year....FACT

Fair enough, I don't have to worry about it until 2015!

Terrontress

oisindoyle wrote: »

LOLOLOL Thats the sillist ,ill informed , Idiotic statement I ever heard .

Well, explain why then.

Andrew33

This is probably going to stir up all sorts of responses but here goes,
I've been driving a cab for 5 years,
The last 2 years have been tough but not once in those 2 years have I missed a payment on my mortgage(a four figure sum). not once in those 2 years have I missed a payment on my car(almost a four figure sum). Not once in those 2 years have I even been late with any payments that I owe. Fair enough, I can't remember the last time myself and "her indoors" went out for a meal and we only had one holiday last year and there's no money for luxuries but we're still in a better place than a lot of poor sods out there at the moment. If i need to work 16 hours a day to pay my bills I'll do it and I'm not young or in particularly good health but by fcuk I'll keep going til I drop.

Terrontress

Andrew33 wrote: »

This is probably going to stir up all sorts of responses but here goes,
I've been driving a cab for 5 years,
The last 2 years have been tough but not once in those 2 years have I missed a payment on my mortgage(a four figure sum). not once in those 2 years have I missed a payment on my car(almost a four figure sum). Not once in those 2 years have I even been late with any payments that I owe. Fair enough, I can't remember the last time myself and "her indoors" went out for a meal and we only had one holiday last year and there's no money for luxuries but we're still in a better place than a lot of poor sods out there at the moment. If i need to work 16 hours a day to pay my bills I'll do it and I'm not young or in particularly good health but by fcuk I'll keep going til I drop.

That is a great, positive attitude.

Good for you.

dr fell

i must say i have never come across a more thoroughly disagreeable
band of self centred right wing intolerant thugs as i have read here
positively foaming at the mouth about the taxi drivers of the country
exercising their right to be heard and listened to by the powers that
govern their businesses , who obviously arent listening to them or they wouldnt be there in the first place .
protest and the right to protest is the corner stone of a democracy
and the day you tell people they cant take to the streets about issues that affect them is the day you throw the bill of rights, the constitution of britian, the republic of ireland , and most civilised nations on the bonfire
i have an idea that the same type of people on here shouting for severe garda action were the same type of people spitting on the "rebels" as they were led out of the gpo 94 years ago
shame on you and the moderators for their lack of impartiality

dr fell

Terrontress

dr fell wrote: »

i must say i have never come across a more thoroughly disagreeable
band of self centred right wing intolerant thugs as i have read here
positively foaming at the mouth about the taxi drivers of the country
exercising their right to be heard and listened to by the powers that
govern their businesses , who obviously arent listening to them or they wouldnt be there in the first place .
protest and the right to protest is the corner stone of a democracy
and the day you tell people they cant take to the streets about issues that affect them is the day you throw the bill of rights, the constitution of britian, the republic of ireland , and most civilised nations on the bonfire
i have an idea that the same type of people on here shouting for severe garda action were the same type of people spitting on the "rebels" as they were led out of the gpo 94 years ago
shame on you and the moderators for their lack of impartiality

dr fell

If "rebels" went down the GPO today and blew it to bits, I would have no objection with spitting on them.

kcools

Right wing intolerant thug because I don't want people blockading the city??What planet are you on? It's very simple. Right to protest? Everyone has it. Right to block one of the main thoroughfares through the city? No-one does.

furiousox

dr fell wrote: »

i must say i have never come across a more thoroughly disagreeable band of self centred right wing intolerant thugs as some of the taxi drivers of this country

FYP

oisindoyle

Andrew33 wrote: »

Would it be beyond taxi drivers to maybe start competing with each other? eg offering discounts etc.

Its not up to drivers to start competing on fares, plus we're not allowed advertise or tout for biz.
The regulator(in her wisdom) whacked the fares upwards back in 2008 at the start of this recession when 89% of people IN the industry urged her not to implement the increase, when drivers said they wouldn't go to the expense of getting meters recalibrated and they'd stick with the old lower fares, every driver got a letter almost threatening them with legal action if they did not get their meters done.
Regulator now should cut fares by 50% and this might encourage more people to use taxis and drivers would be busier but she won't because then taxis would be TOO competitive against semi state public transport and we couldn't have that!

Where exactly did you get the figure of 89% were not in favour ??? what survey was done ,by who ,with whom?
You comment about 50% reduction in fares is all very well in an Utopian society ,,,but when taxi drivers ,insurance, petrol,car repayments,mortages and household bills are cut by 50%,then i'm sure most will welcome your wonderful world

KoolKid

Andrew33 wrote: »

Its not up to drivers to start competing on fares, plus we're not allowed advertise or tout for biz.

Not allowed advertise??
There are ads on the radio every day of the week.
There are leaflets & cards in my door every week. Are these all breaking the law???

Andrew33 wrote: »

The regulator(in her wisdom) whacked the fares upwards back in 2008 at the start of this recession when 89% of people IN the industry urged her not to implement the increase, when drivers said they wouldn't go to the expense of getting meters recalibrated and they'd stick with the old lower fares, every driver got a letter almost threatening them with legal action if they did not get their meters done.
Regulator now should cut fares by 50% and this might encourage more people to use taxis and drivers would be busier but she won't because then taxis would be TOO competitive against semi state public transport and we couldn't have that!

Come off it!! If you know the regulations so well then you know that discounts are at the discretion of the driver. You can give discounts if ye want. You see thats your whole problem. You want to keep blaming everyone else.

paulm17781

Protesting is one thing. If taxis want to protest (even all of them) go ahead, see how people feel with none about, it may make a difference. Blocking the main street of a city to all traffic, starting just before rush hour is nothing but aggressive, ignorant bully tactics. There's protesting and there's being a total douche, they don't have to be the same thing.

furiousox

Can I ask the taxi drivers on this forum what if 20 or 30 private motorists blocked the taxi rank with their cars in O'Connell St tomorrow in protest at the taxi drivers actions today, what do you think would happen?

oisindoyle

furiousox wrote: »

Can I ask the taxi drivers on this forum what if 20 or 30 private motorists blocked the taxi rank with their cars in O'Connell St tomorrow in protest at the taxi drivers actions today, what do you think would happen?

Eh ,,,it wouldnt happen,,,funnily enough thats one of the recommendations from the OJTC .They said their are not enough ranks for drivers ,,,,
At any given time ,it is practically impossible to get on rank if you are a taxi driver.
But good luck in your quest to find a space on one and park up

parsi

furiousox wrote: »

Can I ask the taxi drivers on this forum what if 20 or 30 private motorists blocked the taxi rank with their cars in O'Connell St tomorrow in protest at the taxi drivers actions today, what do you think would happen?

Abusive language, broken windows.

I once took pictures of a taxi protest in Limerick and got abused and threatened by the fine upstanding taxi men. This was before deregulation and the supposed influx of scangers into a pure and noble profession.