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[Article] Brennan remains firm with Taxi drivers on seatbelt issue

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  • 28-06-2004 11:02pm
    #1
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,282 ✭✭✭✭


    http://www.breakingnews.ie/2004/06/28/story154610.html
    Brennan remains firm with Taxi drivers on seatbelt issue
    28/06/2004 - 19:41:42

    Seamus Brennan has said there will be no compromise with taxi-drivers on the issue of seatbelts.

    The Transport Minister has said from Thursday they will be compelled to belt-up for the greater good.

    He has referred the idea of a waist-only belt proposed by taxi-drivers to the National Taxi Council.

    He has said while he has no strong objection to it if it's practical, he feels they would be better off with an ordinary belt.


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    #2
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,282 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/breaking/3506625?view=Eircomnet
    New regulations force taxi drivers to belt up
    From:ireland.com
    Thursday, 1st July, 2004

    New regulations compelling drivers of taxis, hackneys and limousines to wear seatbelts came into force today.

    Formerly exempt from wearing seatbelts, the State's 14,000 taxi drivers will now face a mandatory €60 fine and two penalty points if caught refusing to belt up.

    The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said: "Given the overwhelming evidence of the effectiveness of seatbelts in preventing death and reducing serious injury in road accidents, it is not longer possible to justify continuing this exemption."

    Mr Brennan said: "The wearing of seatbelts by the drivers of taxis, hackneys and limousines not only improves their own safety but also that of their passengers."

    But many taxi drivers are against the regulations, claiming it could impede their escape from attacking passengers, or could be used as a weapon against them.


    Mr Vincent Byrne, vice-president of the National Taxi Drivers' Union, told ireland.com his members were "angered" by the new regulation.

    Mr Byrne said that he was not against the wearing of seatbelts in principle but the exemption was "there for a reason" and that was to reduce the risk of attack.

    Taxi drivers claim shoulder belts can be used as a strangulation device if a driver is under attack. With gardaí, truck drivers and bus drivers remaining exempt from the rule, Mr Byrne said he could not understand why taxi drivers were being "singled out".

    The union confirmed that a number of its members had today reported the gardaí were stopping and checking taxi drivers to ensure they were abiding by the new regulation.

    Minister Brennan said the ending of the exemption on seatbelt wearing had been recommended to him by the National Taxi Council.

    Mr Byrne said the taxi drivers on the council had voted against removing the exemption. He said they had proposed a "lapsed-type belt" as a compromise.


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