Limerick taxi-drivers will be taking to the streets over the latest plans to issue more licences, the area representative for the National Taxi Drivers' Union, Mr Paul Hayes, predicted yesterday.
There are 207 licensed taxis in the city, most of them with two drivers. Mr Hayes said Limerick was different to other centres because of the "intense competition". Even during the week, there was often no room for the taxis on the taxi ranks and "the wardens are hunting us on".
With taxi company names such as "Fixed Price" and "Set Price", he said taxis were not charging the legal fare because the public would not pay it. Taxi plates, however, sell for more than £50,000.
"All the public representatives are behind us. There are no complaints from Limerick. We have good relations with all the officials around," Mr Hayes said.
A sum of £10,000 had been raised to fund the national body's court actions but he said there was growing pressure on the local committee he heads to organise street demonstrations. "I am only holding it off at the moment. I do not know how much longer we can do that."
Mr John Cronin, a taxi driver for the past 21 years, said he and his colleagues were furious over the Government decision. "We could not imagine a government would do a thing like that to working people."
He paid £1,100 for his taxi plate in 1979 with the redundancy money he was paid when the Lanaknit factory closed in Shannon. "I thought I could sell my plate when I was ready to retire and I would have my little nest egg.
"I would have loved to have gone in and paid £20 for my plate. I would have my redundancy in the bank and it would be great," he said.