Taxi driver 'asked passenger to indicate manually out the window for him'

Complaints by members of the public over the state of taxis more than doubled last year, according to new figures from the National Transport Authority (NTA).

Taxi driver 'asked passenger to indicate manually out the window for him'

By Gordon Deegan

Complaints by members of the public over the state of taxis more than doubled last year, according to new figures from the National Transport Authority (NTA).

In one documented case, a passenger believed that a taxi had no working indicators after the taxi-driver asked a front-seat passenger to indicate manually out the window for him.

The case was investigated and no evidence of any offence was found.

In another case where a taxi was operating without indicators following a complaint by another motorist, the NTA intervened and following an investigation by an NTA Compliance Officer, the car was taken out of service.

In one case, a passenger complained to the NTA last July that “the inside of the car was absolutely filthy. Every gap on the dash and controls was caked with dust. Seat covers were visibly stained all over.”

In that case, the NTA fined the driver concerned.

In another case, a passenger reported to the NTA a “strong stench on entering the car - had to open and keep the window open for the journey”.

In that instance, the NTA investigated and found no evidence of an offence after inspecting the vehicle.

Another passenger reported that within seconds of getting into the taxi “I noticed a bad smell”. The NTA reports that the vehicle was replaced.

In total, the number of complaints made by members of the public over taxis and taxi driver behaviour last year increased by 148, or 15%, from 998 to 1,146.

The detailed figures released in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request show that the biggest increase was complaints over the condition and road worthiness, cleanliness of taxis more than doubling from 34 to 72.

The biggest area of complaint was the conduct, behaviour and identification of taxi drivers accounting for 445 complaints. A further 380 complaints were made over alleged overcharging and other fare matters while 248 complaints were made on the hiring and booking of taxis. One complaint was received over the identification of taxis.

In August, one passenger complained about the “very poor condition” of a taxi and “what concerned me more was there was a brake warning light on the dashboard that had been covered with a sticker and another engine light that had been covered with a piece of black tape”.

The NTA investigated and inspected the vehicle, identifying a senior fault and the matter was rectified by a dealership.

In September, a passenger complained a taxi “was dirty inside and out. The boot contained bags and containers that were dirty. The rear seat was stained, torn and dirty. The springs in the rear seat were broken”.

The NTA report that the vehicle was replaced the day after the incident.

One passenger complained that a taxi-driver was not familiar with the rules of the road as “he did not look right when coming to roundabouts” and drove with main beams on behind other cars.

Another complaint said that a taxi-driver “concealed his identity, refused to give a printed receipt and was abusive”. In that case, the NTA fined the taxi driver.

In another case, a Dublin airport taxi-driver charged €43 for a trip from the airport that would usually total €25 after he took “a significant detour” to take the passengers to their destination.

In that case, the driver made full admissions and apologised and made a full refund of the fare after an NTA investigation.

In another, a taxi driver told a passenger that he couldn’t give the passenger a requested printed receipt at the end of the journey.

The passenger stated: “I told him (nicely) that he shouldn’t be driving a taxi and picking up fares without being able to give a printed receipt.

“At this point, he stopped the taxi and told me to get out! He was extremely angry and as he drove off honked his horn at me but had dumped me halfway to my destination.”

The NTA investigated and after admitting the office, the driver was fined.

A female passenger travelling alone made a complaint after a driver became aggressive after she took a photo of his driver ID.

She said: “He demanded that I delete the picture and get out of his cab. I thought this was standard practice, particularly for a female travelling alone at night…The driver I ended up travelling with had no problem with me taking a picture of his ID to send to my brother for re-assurance”.

In that case, the driver was spoken to given advice on his conduct.

The NTA stated that it told the passenger that the Driver Check App can be used to check the licence of a taxi driver and vehicle and those details can be forwarded.

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