Taxi driver strike

furiousox

oisindoyle wrote: »

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

No I meant what if the taxi drivers were deliberately hemmed in by private motorists?
How would you feel, how would you react?
I know what would happen if I parked in a taxi rank btw, we all do. :rolleyes:

oisindoyle

furiousox wrote: »

No I meant what if the taxi drivers were deliberately hemmed in by private motorists?
How would you feel, how would you react?
I know what would happen if I parked in a taxi rank btw, we all do. :rolleyes:

But YOU wouldnt be able to find a space on a rank ,,,thats the point ,,

furiousox

oisindoyle wrote: »

But YOU wouldnt be able to find a space on a rank ,,,thats the point ,,

I'm not talking about parking ON the rank I'm talking about cars parking alongside and in front of the rank thus preventing the taxis from leaving the rank.
What do you think the reaction would be from the taxi drivers?

parsi

oisindoyle wrote: »

But YOU wouldnt be able to find a space on a rank ,,,thats the point ,,

He doesn't need space in a rank to hem in the cars already in the rank.

That's the point.

furiousox

parsi wrote: »

He doesn't need space in a rank to hem in the cars already in the rank.

That's the point.

Exactly, thank you.

parsi

You're welcome.

randylonghorn

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!

You actually can't even see the irony in your post, can you?

Try reading your post aloud while looking in a mirror.

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.

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.

Genuinely, I have great sympathy for you, as I have sympathy for all who have lost their jobs, or seen their earnings drastically cut, and are watching the tide of mortgages and bills rising over their heads.

But can't you see that this kind of protest doesn't work? ... that it achieves nothing except to alienate your customers and potential customers?

Get more imaginative for heaven's sake.

- Blockade Leinster House (preferably when they're already in there!) ... the rest of us won't notice the difference if the politicians are confined for a week or so, but THEY will!

- Organise a bunch of taxis to go to an old folks home and take the residents for a spin to Dollymount Strand or the Park. Announce loudly to the media that you may as well do that, given that you're simply not bringing in a decent income by charging anyway (which I take it is the point you're trying to make?). The message will go out, and the publicity will be POSITIVE for a change, and boy do ye need some positive publicity at this stage.

- <Insert other imaginative options here>

The Muppet wrote: »

Grow up.

Make up your mind ... people have the right to protest or they don't, you can't expound the principle and then condescendingly dismiss as a child someone who proposes to follow it.

dunsandin

That time the "love Ulster" lads marched, did they block up O'Connell st? Or when the gay and lesbian alliance marched, did they block traffic? Or when the jogging jeremys ran their marathon-did they affect traffic? I think the answer to all of the above is yep, and a lot more have blocked traffic than the Taxi drivers. They can block up the whole country as far as I am concerned, we Irish are too bleedin passive, we accept everything and begrudge everyone. If more of us blocked traffic the government might be a bit more careful in their actions. So you got home 30 minutes later than usual, awww, bless. The Taxi drivers are being driven to the brink by the usual Govt policy of [EMAIL="ars@ing"]ars@ing[/EMAIL] up everything they touch. Good luck to the protesters I say, at least they have the guts to protest. I will be delayed by them myself in the morning, and I still say fair play to them.

dunsandin

And just to add, if the Truck drivers had any balls, they would bring gridlock until the rate of excise on their vehicles and fuel was dropped, to prevent even more of them going bust. The Smokers should line the streets to protest that they are being ripped off daily by the rate of tax they pay compared to their european neighbours.And the average motorist should be out daily blolocking the dail to protest at the extortionate rate of fuel excise, VRT and all the other stealth taxes they are ripped off off daily. Mortgage holders should blockade the streets to protest at the bail out of Bankers while homeowners sink. In fact, its remarkable that only the taxi's are blocking a bit of traffic - the country should be permanently gridlocked with protesters if a bit more guts was shown. We take everything lying down, we should be lying down on the streets.

Carawaystick

oisindoyle wrote: »

Here's a reminder of what OJTC recommended:

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

How would that improve the service to the public?
As a member of the public, I remember 3+ hour waits for taxis due to a cap on the number of them. The service to the public should be the primary decider of the policy of all public transport decisions by Govt.

oisindoyle wrote: »

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

Hasn't the dto been subsumed into the nta? via the dta?
Why not let the dept of transport do it? they license bus services (very badly but that's a thread for another day)

oisindoyle wrote: »

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

good point.

oisindoyle wrote: »

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

are there any senior gardaí left never mind getting some more to do additional tasks?

oisindoyle wrote: »

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

then maybe we could free up some window space and get rid of insurance disks too. - for all vehicles.

oisindoyle wrote: »

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

this is so obvious I don't know what they were smoking - spice or some of the headshop stuff.
only point is that taxis serve more than cities.

oisindoyle wrote: »

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

NCT centres have enough delays serving the public as it is.

oisindoyle wrote: »

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

If they've an EU license, this can't apply. Surely the bar should be higher than the irish driving test.

oisindoyle wrote: »

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

absolutely

oisindoyle wrote: »

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

That looks like imposing a cost on us to recompense failed business? either write the license off or allow the market.

oisindoyle wrote: »

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

oisindoyle wrote: »

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

I don't understand the idea of having an age limit on cars. An objective quality test should do instead.

The cost of a license fell from infinite ( couldn't buy a new one) to the present level so that's a drop of more than 8000%

randylonghorn

dunsandin wrote: »

That time the "love Ulster" lads marched, did they block up O'Connell st? Or when the gay and lesbian alliance marched, did they block traffic? Or when the jogging jeremys ran their marathon-did they affect traffic?

Well, there's one basic but pretty major difference. None of those groups were dependent on the good-will and custom of the people they were pissing off for their livelihood.

(Well, I don't think so anyway, who tf are the jogging jeremy's? )

LionelNashe

dunsandin wrote: »

That time the "love Ulster" lads marched, did they block up O'Connell st? Or when the gay and lesbian alliance marched, did they block traffic? Or when the jogging jeremys ran their marathon-did they affect traffic?

and the other difference is that they applied for Garda permission and had approved routes for their marches/marathons. Taxi drivers are just flouting the law.

dunsandin

You are nicely avoiding my main point, why are just the taxi men and women protesting, and why do they not have the right to protest? Most taxi men say they cant make a living, so what have they got to lose in terms of customers? Anyway, we have the memory of gnats, so this protest will be forgotten in a week or two, we will be giving out about the teachers and PS instead.

dunsandin

LionelNashe wrote: »

and the other difference is that they applied for Garda permission and had approved routes for their marches/marathons. Taxi drivers are just flouting the law.

Perhaps a few more groups should hurry up and flout it too, it seems to be fairly well flouted by those in power, when it suits.

LionelNashe

dunsandin wrote: »

Perhaps a few more groups should hurry up and flout it too, it seems to be fairly well flouted by those in power, when it suits.

That's great logic. "Those in power" are flouting the law sometimes, so why don't a few more do it? Love Ulster/gay Lesbian/Marathons block traffic, so why can't taxi drivers do it?

There were corner 3 shops near me a couple of years ago and 2 of them are no longer in business. I didn't see any shopkeepers out blocking traffic in the middle of the street, because they don't take the view that the government should limit the number of shops in order to protect the incomes of the existing ones.

randylonghorn

dunsandin wrote: »

You are nicely avoiding my main point, why are just the taxi men and women protesting, and why do they not have the right to protest?

No, I addressed myself to it before you even made it. And I certainly never said they had no right to protest, it's the manner of their protest which I see as ill-conceived, to put it kindly, highly detrimental to their own objectives and calculated (or rather probably not calculated!) to lose them the support of the general public ... which they need for their business, and which any protest needs if it is to succeed in any case.

dunsandin wrote: »

Most taxi men say they cant make a living, so what have they got to lose in terms of customers?

More of them? ... hence even more taxi drivers saying they can't make a living?

dunsandin wrote: »

Anyway, we have the memory of gnats, so this protest will be forgotten in a week or two ...

I remember the last time they tried this, and the same old arguments as a result, and I don't even live in Dublin.

dunsandin wrote: »

...we will be giving out about the teachers and PS instead.

Oh, true enough, in fact I guarantee you that somewhere on Boards someone is right at this minute.

dunsandin wrote: »

... it seems to be fairly well flouted by those in power, when it suits.

Again, I wouldn't argue that one with you.

LionelNashe wrote: »

There were corner 3 shops near me a couple of years ago and 2 of them are no longer in business. I didn't see any shopkeepers out blocking traffic in the middle of the street, because they don't take the view that the government should limit the number of shops in order to protect the incomes of the existing ones.

Hate to say it, but they quite often do ... objections to planning permissions for new stores are regularly lodged by existing shops in the area.

They don't, however, block the street outside their shop with a line of trolleys, and expect that to endear them to their customers, or to win their battle against the new store encroaching on their turf.

oisindoyle

Carawaystick wrote: »

How would that improve the service to the public?
As a member of the public, I remember 3+ hour waits for taxis due to a cap on the number of them. The service to the public should be the primary decider of the policy of all public transport decisions by Govt.
BECAUSE ATHE MOMENT THE INDUSTRY IS IN A MESS AND THE POWERS THAT BE NEED TO GET IN THERE AND ROUTE OUT THE ILLEGALS AND DRIVERS SWHO WORK AREAS THEY ARE NOT LICENCED TO ,MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE AT RISK .





Hasn't the dto been subsumed into the nta? via the dta?
Why not let the dept of transport do it? they license bus services (very badly but that's a thread for another day)

NOT YET









.










I don't understand the idea of having an age limit on cars. An objective quality test should do instead.

THERE ARE MANY 10YR OLD CARS IN IMMACULATE CONDITION .MOST DRIVERS FEEL THAT IT SHOULD BE THE STANDARD OF THE CAR RATHER THAN THE AGE THAT SHOULD PREVENT IT FROM BEING ON THE ROAD

The cost of a license fell from infinite ( couldn't buy a new one) to the present level so that's a drop of more than 8000%

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ??? THE DRIVER LICENCE NEVER FELL FROM INFINITE ,,IT HAS BEEN 3 EURO AND IT HAD TO BE RENEWED EVERY 5 YEARS ,,THE REGULATOR WANTS IT RENEWED EVERY THREE YEARS NOW AND HAS INCREASED IT TO 250 EURO

randylonghorn

The two of ye seem to be agreeing re: standard of car vs. actual age,yes?

oisindoyle wrote: »

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ??? THE DRIVER LICENCE NEVER FELL FROM INFINITE ,,IT HAS BEEN 3 EURO AND IT HAD TO BE RENEWED EVERY 5 YEARS ,,THE REGULATOR WANTS IT RENEWED EVERY THREE YEARS NOW AND HAS INCREASED IT TO 250 EURO

I suspect one of ye is talking about the license, the other about the plate.

Spook_ie

koolkid wrote: »

There is no law preventing taxi's from offering lower fares.;)

Glad to see you're only using half quotes again in your arguments

Im sure many taxi drivers would willingly apply these laws and discount fares when demand is low and "increase fares" when demand is high. Thats the laws of competition and they dont apply so the idea of competition is not applicable.

Spook_ie

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.
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.

Bring it on, could do with the laugh

Spook_ie

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.

Very comendable, just how do you square the maximum legal shift of 11 hours with that?

Spook_ie

furiousox wrote: »

I'm not talking about parking ON the rank I'm talking about cars parking alongside and in front of the rank thus preventing the taxis from leaving the rank.
What do you think the reaction would be from the taxi drivers?

Probably not a lot for the first hour and a half waiting for a fare

keefg

problemchimp wrote: »

wrong my friend. illegal taxi drivers with no insurance no knowledge and very importantly no garda backround checks. would you like your teenage daughter getting into a dodgy drivers car alone at night? my point is it's not just about money it's also about the publics interest to keep a safe industry.

This sort of chivalrous bullcrap "We're only doing this for your safety" comment really makes me laugh. It's just a poor spin used by protesting taxi drivers to try to gain some public sympathy/support for their cause.

It's about the money, nothing else, we're all grown-ups here and can all understand the requirement to earn a living so please, let's do without the "The Boogeyman's Out There" argument.

If taxi drivers are so concerned with the amount of illegal drivers within their industry then they should repeatedly report these drivers to the Gardai and let them take care of the issue.


We live in a democracy so taxi drivers are entitled to protest (quite rightly so) against their perceived injustices......however, they should hold their protest in a reasonable (legal?) manner like everyone else has to.

I can't think of any other industry that are allowed to hold their protests/marches in the way taxi drivers do.
Other public marches through city centres, such as

dunsandin wrote: »

That time the "love Ulster" lads marched, did they block up O'Connell st? Or when the gay and lesbian alliance marched, did they block traffic? Or when the jogging jeremys ran their marathon-did they affect traffic? I think the answer to all of the above is yep, and a lot more have blocked traffic than the Taxi drivers.

...however, unlike taxi drivers, other people/unions/organisations have to follow certain procedures to hold a demonstration, such as adequate notice to the Gardai of the proposed route to allow for traffic diversions and public order/safety procedures to be put in place.

In a lot of instances it's the Gardai who will dictate the route & timing of the march so as to cause as little disruption as possible. And I'm fairly sure that "Jogging Jeremy's" Marathons are all held either at the weekend or on a Bank Holiday.

I'm sick of the way it seems that anyone with a taxi plate and a set of hazard lights can block up the country and bring parts of it to a standstill (remember the blockade at Dublin airport a few years ago? :mad:) without the fear of any repercussions from the Gardai.

As other posters have said, it does nothing to gain public support and if "Joe Public" tried it they'd soon be carted away in the back of a van.

KoolKid

Spook_ie wrote: »

Glad to see you're only using half quotes again in your arguments

Your really are losing credability now.
I am quoting whats relevant to the point I am making. Whereas you are just avoiding all the questions as usual. Pretty much the same as the thread after the last protest. If you can not answer the basic questions its no wonder the government do not want to listen. The only tactic ye know is keep talking . Proper debate requires both sides talking & answering questions put to them. In your case it is if its not my way the toys get trown out of the pram.

Taxipete29

koolkid wrote: »

Your really are losing credability now.
I am quoting whats relevant to the point I am making. Whereas you are just avoiding all the questions as usual. Pretty much the same as the thread after the last protest. If you can not answer the basic questions its no wonder the government do not want to listen. The only tactic ye know is keep talking . Proper debate requires both sides talking & answering questions put to them. In your case it is if its not my way the toys get trown out of the pram.

Just to clarify a point. I did not make that comment in the AH thread yesterday. One of my work colleagues did so when I was on lunch break and had left my pc on with that screen still up. He also posts on boards and did so for a laugh as he knows I dont post in AH and that I am obviously a FORMER taxi driver. I never got that riled up when I was still in the industry, I aint going to start now.

TBH I couldnt care less what happens with Taxis now as I am well out of the business, but I have to say I got my bus home from the city yesterday and wasnt delayed in the slightest. If anything, the lack of taxis made it quicker.

It should be noted that most of the Taxi drivers who complain are not affiliated with a radio company. This is madness in the current climate.

oisindoyle

randylonghorn wrote: »

The two of ye seem to be agreeing re: standard of car vs. actual age,yes?


I suspect one of ye is talking about the license, the other about the plate.

Exactly ,,,Thats the problem with all the arm chair critics on here ,,they make assumptions ,accusations ,and dont want to know the REAL facts or they misread the facts ....

Calina

Just in case I have to spell it out:


cool down or I will close the thread. Anyone who dares to yell on this thread again will get a permanent ban.

I have a long memory. It involves very, very fractious and overemotionalised discussions on taxis, taxi drivers and the last taxi strike.

furiousox

Originally Posted by furiousox
I'm not talking about parking ON the rank I'm talking about cars parking alongside and in front of the rank thus preventing the taxis from leaving the rank.
What do you think the reaction would be from the taxi drivers?

Spook_ie wrote: »

Probably not a lot for the first hour and a half waiting for a fare

Make sure you don't answer the question whatever you do :rolleyes:

oisindoyle

keefg wrote: »

This sort of chivalrous bullcrap "We're only doing this for your safety" comment really makes me laugh. It's just a poor spin used by protesting taxi drivers to try to gain some public sympathy/support for their cause.

It's about the money, nothing else, we're all grown-ups here and can all understand the requirement to earn a living so please, let's do without the "The Boogeyman's Out There" argument.ITS NOT ABOUT MONEY ..ITS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THE OJTC RECOMMENDATIONS AND OTHER MATTERS RELATING TO THE TAXI REGULATOR ....

If taxi drivers are so concerned with the amount of illegal drivers within their industry then they should repeatedly report these drivers to the Gardai and let them take care of the issue. THEY DO CONSTANTLY ON A DAILY BASIS AND NIGHTLY BASIS,,TO BE HONEST MOST GUARDS HAVENT A CLUE WHAT TO DO IN A LOT OF SITUATIONS ..LAST WEEKEND AN ILLEGAL DRIVER WAS TOLD TO REMOVE HIS SIGN AND GO HOME,,,,GUESS WHAT HE DROVE AROUND THE CORNER PUT THE SIGN BACK UP AND CONTINUED TO WORK THAT NIGHT THAT IS JUST ONE INSTANT I SAW ,,IT IS A CONSTANT BATTLE TO TRY AND WEED OUT OR REPORT TO GUARDS ,,THEY CANNOT COPE FACT ,,,


We live in a democracy so taxi drivers are entitled to protest (quite rightly so) against their perceived injustices......however, they should hold their protest in a reasonable (legal?) manner like everyone else has to.
THEY HAVE DONE ,,, IN THE PAST YEAR ALONE THEY HAVE HELD 13 MARCHES TO NO AVAIL ,,,THE DEPT MADE PROMISES LAST OCT ITS NOW MARCH AND THEY WENT BACK ON THEIR PROMISES ,,,WITHOUT REASONABLE DIALOGUE UNREASONABLE BEHAVIOUR HAPPENS





I'm sick of the way it seems that anyone with a taxi plate and a set of hazard lights can block up the country and bring parts of it to a standstill (remember the blockade at Dublin airport a few years ago? :mad:) without the fear of any repercussions from the Gardai.AND DRIVERS ARE SICK TO THE PITS OF THEIR STOMACHS THAT NO ONE WILL TALK IN A REASONABLE MANNER ,,,THEY ARE BEING SHOVED FROM PILLAR TO POST BY THE DEPT OF TRANSPORT TO THE TR OFFICE

godtabh

2qk4u wrote: »

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.

I know many many people in the same boat as you. None are taxi drivers. None take to the streets at a whim cause they aren’t getting their way. None protest at restricting entry in to their profession. Many people have had to leave their profession and seek lower paid less skilled jobs (compared to what they went to college for).

I’ve had it relatively lucky. I’m on a 3 day week. Had to move out of my apartment and rent it out. I’ve been looking for work for 4 months and recently just got something. I’ve been flexible over the last 18 months working in Newry and Manchester for extended periods despite a family member been terminally ill.

You made a decision to go into the that industry. The same as anybody choosing a profession. No one forced you or made you do it. If you joined recently then look at the decision you made and ask yourself did you know what you were getting yourself into. If you joined over a longer period there was plenty of opportunities to leave and find alternative work but I guess you figured the good times would never end.

My company now uses firms that offer discounts and change their account regularly to ensure they get value for business. I get a taxi only if I have to and again only use firms that offer a discount. If you want to drum up business there are ways and means of doing. There is money to be made there but like everything else requires hard work and a lot of effort.

Like everyone else no one owes you a living. If you cant make one as a taxi driver do something else. If there is nothing else going get on with it like everyone else has to .

Cookie_Monster

I don't really support the taxi driver tbh but recognise that they are allowed to protest like everyone else if they are unhappy.

What I don't get is why their protests are allowed to close major streets in the capital and elsewhere in the country with next to no notice or consideration. All the taxis blocking O'Connell st yesterday should have been impounded, no ifs, ands of buts. It is bordering on criminal to cause such a blockage unnecessarily (and at rush hour)

Protest all you want, you do not need cars to protest though, only yourselves and your signs. :mad:

whosedaddy?

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I don't really support the taxi driver tbh but recognise that they are allowed to protest like everyone else if they are unhappy.

What I don't get is why their protests are allowed to close major streets in the capital and elsewhere in the country with next to no notice or consideration. All the taxis blocking O'Connell st yesterday should have been impounded, no ifs, ands of buts. It is bordering on criminal to cause such a blockage unnecessarily (and at rush hour)

Protest all you want, you do not need cars to protest though, only yourselves and your signs. :mad:

+1
All yesterday did was me thinking how can they get away with it - guards are useless dealing with it... maybe Joe Public should show their discontent with the action by not using any taxi for a day or two...

When things where good, how many times did I hear about the holidays / holiday homes of the cabbies. I couldn't affort that....
Sure that can't be generalised, but neither can the "poor me, I can't afford to pay my bils anymore" which we get now.

We are all in a recession, some are more affected than others.. I've lost my job and was lucky finding new similar employment. Others aren't.

KoolKid

The one thing point that we just can not get a taxi driver to accept is that the country does not owe them anything. If we were to try & sort out everyone (or every industry) that has been hit by the recession we will be like Iceland with a month.

whosedaddy?

koolkid wrote: »

The one thing point that we just can not get a taxi driver to accept is that the country does not owe them anything. If we were to try & sort out everyone (or every industry) that has been hit by the recession we will be like Iceland with a month.

or Greece...

angel01

Protest is one thing but block the streets, no sirreeeee..

I will never use a taxi on a rank again. EVER.

keefg

oisindoyle wrote: »

ITS NOT ABOUT MONEY ..ITS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THE OJTC RECOMMENDATIONS AND OTHER MATTERS RELATING TO THE TAXI REGULATOR

Rubbish. I guarantee you that if something was done at midnight tonight to enable taxi's to earn what they were earning before the de-reg then these protests would stop at 12.01. Drivers wouldn't give two hoots about the fella driving the other cabs parked in the ranks as long as he's earning what he wants to earn.

oisindoyle wrote: »

THEY DO CONSTANTLY ON A DAILY BASIS AND NIGHTLY BASIS,,TO BE HONEST MOST GUARDS HAVENT A CLUE WHAT TO DO IN A LOT OF SITUATIONS ..LAST WEEKEND AN ILLEGAL DRIVER WAS TOLD TO REMOVE HIS SIGN AND GO HOME,,,,GUESS WHAT HE DROVE AROUND THE CORNER PUT THE SIGN BACK UP AND CONTINUED TO WORK THAT NIGHT THAT IS JUST ONE INSTANT I SAW ,,IT IS A CONSTANT BATTLE TO TRY AND WEED OUT OR REPORT TO GUARDS ,,THEY CANNOT COPE FACT

Then why not demonstrate against the AGS for their lack of response in this matter? Surely it's them you should be angry at not Joe Public? After all, it's not Joe Publics fault is it?

Taxi drivers are very effective when they want to be when blocking cars from going where they want. Why not club together and make it impossible for these guys (I'm sure you all know who they are) to get fares?

When you see them join your rank, heckle them to move on or let Joe Public know that it's an illegal taxi. There are many solutions to the issue of rogue taxis without resorting to crippling the road network and angering the people you rely on to make a living.

Yet for some reason taxi drivers think it's acceptable to use their bully boy tactics on the general public to get what they want (which is money).

oisindoyle wrote: »

THEY HAVE DONE ,,, IN THE PAST YEAR ALONE THEY HAVE HELD 13 MARCHES TO NO AVAIL ,,,THE DEPT MADE PROMISES LAST OCT ITS NOW MARCH AND THEY WENT BACK ON THEIR PROMISES ,,,WITHOUT REASONABLE DIALOGUE UNREASONABLE BEHAVIOUR HAPPENS

So the answer is to turn against the general public? Anger the very people you rely on for a living?

oisindoyle wrote: »

AND DRIVERS ARE SICK TO THE PITS OF THEIR STOMACHS THAT NO ONE WILL TALK IN A REASONABLE MANNER ,,,THEY ARE BEING SHOVED FROM PILLAR TO POST BY THE DEPT OF TRANSPORT TO THE TR OFFICE

I say again...the answer is to turn against the general public? Anger the very people you rely on for a living?

As another poster has stated, taxi drivers do not need their cars to make a protest. They do not need to block main roads, airports etc to make a protest. Just make up some signs and make as much noise as you can outside Leinster house without angering your customer base.

People have got a long memory and there are a lot of people still pee'd off at the last batch of protests by taxi drivers.

If taxi drivers think the only way to get their way is by causing the public as much misery as possible then they are very .... let's just say .... unwise to do so.

dr fell

kcools wrote: »

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.

yes they could stand in a field and not inconvienence the public
but what good would that do.
would anyone know ghandis name today if he stood in a field in india
or that polish electrician if he stood in a carpark in gdansk in the eighties
my good man the whole point of a demonstration is to inconvienence
everyone. i am of an age that can remember a generation of people
fight and die for the right to inconvienence everyone. i think if you would like to live in a country where the populace works and lives by the whistle and civil disobidience is unknown. you should live in north korea
im sure you would fit right in

markpb

dr fell wrote: »

yes they could stand in a field and not inconvienence the public
but what good would that do.

What about Kildare St or Merrion St where they might inconvenience politicians instead of the public? Pissing off commuters stuck on a red line train isn't going to get you anywhere. Embarrassing a politician by making them late for a meeting is more likely to get their attention.

ElBarco

dr fell wrote: »

would anyone know ghandis name today if he stood in a field in india

Do you expect the good taxi drivers of Ireland to make this kind of impact?

I think there might be things in this country that do need to be highlighted to that extent but the taxi drivers worries are not one of them.

MJohnston

dr fell wrote: »

yes they could stand in a field and not inconvienence the public
but what good would that do.
would anyone know ghandis name today if he stood in a field in india
or that polish electrician if he stood in a carpark in gdansk in the eighties
my good man the whole point of a demonstration is to inconvienence
everyone. i am of an age that can remember a generation of people
fight and die for the right to inconvienence everyone. i think if you would like to live in a country where the populace works and lives by the whistle and civil disobidience is unknown. you should live in north korea
im sure you would fit right in

Except we live in a completely different world to those other circumstances. You can't expect the comfortable and rather well off individuals of Ireland to be anything other than really angered when you disrupt their lives for anything less than the end of the world. And fair enough, because why should you?

As many have pointed out, it doesn't even earn the protesters the maximum of exposure, in fact I'd imagine the news was about the disruption caused by the protest, rather than the aims of said protest. Thats a failure on every level. Better ideas:

- As has been said, inconvenience the politicians, don't block off Dublin city centre, because they won't care a jot.
- Perhaps incorporate a little bit of positivity into your protest, that way you'll get a tonne of good press. Good press gets voters onto your side, and voters on your side means you have political weight. Right now, you've got none.
- Do something unique, people have seen a million and one disruptive protests, and they don't remember them a week later. Do something different and your protest will be remembered for years.

My guess as to why none of these were done is that none of this was that well organised.

Nermal

dr fell wrote: »

would anyone know ghandis name today if he stood in a field in india

Ah Ghandi. Memories of his hard fought struggle for rent-seeking and anticompetitive regulation bring a tear to my eye...

randylonghorn

dr fell wrote: »

my good man the whole point of a demonstration is to inconvienence
everyone.

I would argue that the whole point of a demonstration is to garner support from the general public, and to demonstrate that support to the people who have the power to make the changes you want ... exactly the opposite of what is happening here.

dr fell wrote: »

i am of an age that can remember a generation of people fight and die for the right to inconvienence everyone.

I think they fought and died for rather higher and better thought out motives than that tbh.

dr fell wrote: »

i think if you would like to live in a country where the populace works and lives by the whistle and civil disobidience is unknown. you should live in north korea im sure you would fit right in

Can you honestly not see that you are comparing two extremes?

I have no problem with the idea of civil disobedience to make your point, but would gently suggest that you employ intelligent, well thought-out and effective strategies rather than shooting yourselves in the foot ...

MJohnston

I don't see the argument here anyway....either you support disruptive protest and therefore embrace public anger as a means to an end or you don't support it and are angry. Why are there people on this thread questioning the right of people to be angry about the protest? That doesn't make sense.

Stark

MJohnston wrote: »

- Perhaps incorporate a little bit of positivity into your protest, that way you'll get a tonne of good press. Good press gets voters onto your side, and voters on your side means you have political weight. Right now, you've got none.

They did. They promised to stay off the roads for 7 days. That should be enough to brighten people's week.

MJohnston

I'd love to see that, I'd imagine traffic in the city centre would improve immeasurably.

Carawaystick

oisindoyle wrote: »

BECAUSE ATHE MOMENT THE INDUSTRY IS IN A MESS AND THE POWERS THAT BE NEED TO GET IN THERE AND ROUTE OUT THE ILLEGALS AND DRIVERS SWHO WORK AREAS THEY ARE NOT LICENCED TO ,MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE AT RISK .

Maybe you could explain how a moratorium on new licenses would stop unlicensed taxis?
or prevent drivers working outside their area.
or how it'd reduce the risk to members of the public?
without shouting or changing topic if possible.

randylonghorn

Carawaystick wrote: »

without shouting ...

In fairness to the poster, I'm not sure he realises that typing in ALL CAPITALS is seen as the equivalent of shouting on the 'net, or that using BOLD as well reinforces that ...

KoolKid

There is a poll here on the strike.

dunsandin

We live in a democracy so taxi drivers are entitled to protest (quite rightly so) against their perceived injustices......however, they should hold their protest in a reasonable (legal?) manner like everyone else has to.

I can't think of any other industry that are allowed to hold their protests/marches in the way taxi drivers do.
Other public marches through city centres, such as ...however, unlike taxi drivers, other people/unions/organisations have to follow certain procedures to hold a demonstration, such as adequate notice to the Gardai of the proposed route to allow for traffic diversions and public order/safety procedures to be put in place.

In a lot of instances it's the Gardai who will dictate the route & timing of the march so as to cause as little disruption as possible. And I'm fairly sure that "Jogging Jeremy's" Marathons are all held either at the weekend or on a Bank Holiday.

I'm sick of the way it seems that anyone with a taxi plate and a set of hazard lights can block up the country and bring parts of it to a standstill (remember the blockade at Dublin airport a few years ago? :mad:) without the fear of any repercussions from the Gardai.

As other posters have said, it does nothing to gain public support and if "Joe Public" tried it they'd soon be carted away in the back of a van.[/QUOTE]
Only if joe public did not have weight of numbers - the gardai know that if they clamp down on these drivers, there are likley to be 14950 more who will be indignant and really start to protest - hence the kid gloves. I remember sitting stuck on the quays for 1 hour last year while the anti-Israel protesters marched down Capel st - and fair dues to those who protested, I dont hugely agree with them, but they have a right to protest. The small shopkeepers are easy prey for the larger operators, small, divided, they are easily picked off. I personally admire greatly any group of people who have the gumption to stand up together for themselves, regardless of their views in relation to mine. I dont greatly give a toss what the general public feel, because if each of us waited for the general public to come to our aid, we would each die waiting. You may be miffed at the taxi drivers, but probably only because you are not one - walk a mile in their shoes and your view would probably change.

MJohnston

Walk a mile in their shoes, and I wouldn't need to bother with a taxi, everyones happy!