Drivers in mood for strike over plan to double the number of taxi plates

An estimated 700 members of the National Taxi Drivers' Union attended a mass meeting in the National Stadium yesterday to decide a strategy of opposition to plans to more than double the number of taxi plates in Dublin.

The meeting, coupled with a similar meeting organised by members of the Irish Taxi Drivers' Federation on the north side of the city, left the capital's taxi fleet seriously depleted between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The absence of many taxis on the streets, coupled with bad weather, resulted in traffic delays in the city, especially when a power failure on the DART line caused level-crossing gates to remain closed to trains for about two hours at lunchtime.

However, according to AA Roadwatch, the congestion, while inconveniencing many, did not have a lasting effect on the traffic flow. "It appears the worst problem was the rain, with a number of incidents of flooding", a spokeswoman said.

At the NTDU meeting the drivers - a substantial number of whom arrived late, causing the 11 a.m. meeting to be delayed for almost an hour - agreed a proposal to ballot their entire membership on acceptance of the Government's plans. The ballot is to take place next Tuesday and the result will be known on Wednesday.

However, according to the general secretary of the NTDU, Mr Tommy Gorman, the Government's proposals did not depart from the original plan to double the number of taxi licences.

Many of the drivers who attended the NTDU meeting described the mood as one of defiance. They pointed out that there was not going to be one extra place at taxi ranks for the proposed new taxis.

Mr John Ussher, speaking on behalf of the members of the Irish Taxi Drivers' Federation, said that the mood of their meeting was "very militant". His members would also be voting next week, but he felt that the Minister had given them nothing to vote on. "He didn't give us any proposals. He said he was going to issue the taxi licences. The ballot paper on Friday is likely to ask the members if they are prepared to withdraw their labour."

Asked if this meant that a strike was in the offing, Mr Ussher replied: "If there was a vote today, it would have been for a strike."