MORE THAN 600 taxi drivers marched through Dublin city centre to the Dáil yesterday as part of their campaign to have a restriction placed on the numbers entering the industry.
The march, which began at Parnell Square at 11.30am, was the third protest organised by the recently formed Taxi Drivers For Change.
The group, which has members of all taxi unions, said it had formed to present a united front from all parts of the country in response to the difficulties in the industry and to highlight drivers’ dissatisfaction with the lack of response to their concerns from taxi regulator Kathleen Doyle or Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey.
Group organiser Frank Byrne said many drivers were disappointed by the lack of progress made by taxi representatives.
“Drivers are generally disaffected with the lack of ability to achieve any changes either through their representative body or the taxi regulator.”
Drivers were working “intolerable hours” of up to 80 hours a week in an attempt to earn a living, Mr Byrne said. Many were earning less than €60 a day.
“The Minister for Transport needs to realise and accept that the taxi industry is in turmoil. He needs to stop the issuing of any new licences by any means possible by either suspending the issuing of new plates or new SPSV licences.”
Not only were there too many taxis in the country, there were large numbers of illegal drivers, Mr Byrne said.
Separately, Siptu drivers held their third picket at Dublin airport in their campaign for the introduction of an appeals system against decisions of the taxi regulator.
A spokeswoman for Mr Dempsey said he was awaiting an economic review of the industry from the taxi regulator and a report on the industry from the Oireachtas Transport Committee. Both reports were due shortly and any decisions on the industry would not be made before then.
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