300 taxi drivers stage protest
Around 300 taxi drivers held a demonstration rally through Dublin city centre today in protest over industry conditions.
Representatives of taxi unions handed in letters to Transport Minister Seamus Brennan after the demonstration, which culminated outside the Dail.
Drivers were protesting over issues including the deregulation of the industry, high insurance costs and the erosion of full-time drivers’ incomes.
Although around a 1,000 drivers had been expected to take part, the protest was largely scaled down due to factors such as including police concerns over traffic disruption.
Taxis gathered in Phoenix Park at 1pm, before making their way into the city centre where most dispersed and 40 continued to drive past the parliament.
The protest came a day after Mr Brennan announced he would be appointing a regulator to oversee the taxi industry – one of the demands made by the taxi drivers.
He said the Office of National Regulator will be established in February 2003 on a non-statutory basis, with legislation then passed on to make it a statutory body.
He said the role of the Regulator will be to provide effective control of a professional, efficient and customer-friendly service by taxis, hackney cabs and limousines.
However representatives for the three unions taking part in today’s action - the National Taxi Drivers’ Union, SIPTU and the Irish Taxi Drivers Federation - said they still had cause to protest.
The ITDF’s John Ussher said unions were concerned about the type of regulator that would be appointed.
The terms of reference are going to be very important,” he said. “We are asking for an input into these terms of reference.”
He said it had been an orderly protest which caused no disruption to traffic in the city.
Mattie Egerton, executive of the NTDU, said unions were now seeking reassurances that the number of taxi drivers would be restricted and that strict licensing rules would be introduced.
