Taxi drivers win political backing for licence battle
Wednesday May 06 2009
TAXI drivers have won political backing for their campaign to restrict new licences and abolish the taxi regulator.
Their demands are being backed by the Labour Party, which yesterday announced it is calling for a two-year moratorium on new licences to keep the number of taxis at 27,000.
But Transport Minister Noel Dempsey, the Competition Authority and Fine Gael and are all opposed to such a move on the grounds that it could stifle competition and choice for taxi passengers.
It comes after months of protests by taxi drivers, who say that their wages and working conditions have deteriorated due to the 27,000 licenced taxis now in operation, compared to the 13,600 taxis operating in 2000, before the market was opened up by deregulation.
Labour transport spokesman Tommy Broughan said a temporary moratorium was needed because the de-regulated system was not working in the interest of drivers or the public.
"We do think there has to be a middle way between the current free-for-all and the bad old system in the 1990s. A career for a committed taxi driver who wants to put bread on the table and rear a family should be possible," he said.
Mr Broughan also called for the office of the Taxi Regulator to be merged into the new Dublin Transport Authority.
The Taxi Regulator Kathleen Doyle yesterday finished taking submissions for her review of the standards in the industry. A recent review carried out by Goodbody economic consultants for her office recommended no freeze on taxi numbers.
Mr Broughan acknowledged that taxi fares had continued to increase despite the rise in taxi numbers, which now exceed those in London (25,000 taxi drivers for eight million people) and New York City (13,000 taxis for eight million people).
"There has been a dysfunctional relationship between the rise in fares last November and the numbers in the industry," he said.
Labour's potential coalition partner Fine Gael has said it will not be backing the calls for a moratorium.
- Michael Brennan Political Correspondent
