The Minister for Transport announced the appointment of the interim chairman of the Commission for Taxi Regulation this morning vowing to clamp down on "bad apples" in the industry.
Mr Jimmy Farrelly has been appointed to the post pending the introduction of a National Taxi Regulator on a full statutory basis later this year. Mr Farrelly is a former Secretary General of the Department of the Environment and Local Government.
At a press conference this morning Mr Brennan said: "The vast, vast majority of taxi people in the industry are goodprofessional people and the odd bad apple here and there is regrettable."
"We will tighten up the systems as much as we can to make sure that those handful of bad apples are not in the system any more."
He said legislation was being prepared to create a Commission for Taxi Regulation that will oversee the application of standards and licensing of taxis, hackneys and limousines in the State.
Mr Farrelly will hold talks with the taxi industry, local authorities and the Garda about the operation of the Commission.
The discussions will focus on standards of entry, security and safety, the age and condition of vehicles, a dress code for drivers and a uniform colour for taxis, Mr Brennan said.
He said Mr Farrelly would also examine how best to implement the findings of the Taxi Hardship Panel.
SIPTU General President Mr Des Geraghty welcomed the appointment but said he was disappointed that he would have not powers to restrict the number of licences being issued.SIPTU taxi-drivers have staged a series of four-hour stoppages over de-regulation of the industry, calling for a cap to be placed on the issuing of licences until a regulator is appointed on a statutory basis.
"The effective protests which SIPTU taxi drivers have engaged in will continue until their concerns are met," Mr Geraghty said.
Fine Gael's spokesman on transport Mr Denis Naughten said Mr Farrelly's appointment was a "small step in the right direction but is worthless without statutory regulation, which is urgently required."
