[Article] Taxi drivers to hold stoppage on 4 September

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0824/taxi.html

Taxi drivers to hold stoppage on 4 September
24 August 2006 20:21

A meeting of the main taxi drivers' unions has decided to withdraw services from 6am to 1pm on Monday 4 September, as part of the dispute with the Commission for Taxi Regulation over changes to fare structures.

During the stoppage, taxis will be driven to the taxi regulator's office.

Earlier, the Commission for Taxi Regulation turned down an invitation from taxi unions to attend a 'mass meeting' of taxi drivers.

In a statement, the commission said it did not regard a mass meeting as the right format for a constructive exchange of information.

It said its priority was to provide information directly to drivers and the commissioner was available to meet representatives of the taxi drivers at any time for discussions.

The statement said that any strike action, particularly during a period of high tourist activity, would only harm the perception of the industry and Ireland as a whole.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

delighted for them.... hope they have a nice day off.
f#'king thieves.

L5

How convenient of them to choose probably the quietest time of the week for their "strike", a time when 95% of them would probably be at home in bed anyway. Does anyone actually give a f*ck about taximen? Let them strike 365 days a year for all I care. They're thieving scum anyway.

Noelie

L5 wrote:

How convenient of them to choose probably the quietest time of the week for their "strike", a time when 95% of them would probably be at home in bed anyway. Does anyone actually give a f*ck about taximen? Let them strike 365 days a year for all I care. They're thieving scum anyway.

Thieving Scum is a bit harsh, but i do agree with you, let them strike all year long, would be great if we could organise a boycott of them for a week (would never happen), would be great to see what the do when they're getting fcuk all business.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

Noelie wrote:

Thieving Scum is a bit harsh, but i do agree with you, let them strike all year long, would be great if we could organise a boycott of them for a week (would never happen), would be great to see what the do when they're getting fcuk all business.

i don't agree...thieving scum is been nice.

but ya that would be great to organise a boycott...great idea

Kashkai

While the law of probabilities would state that there has to be a few decent taximen out there, I've never come accross any.

Shower of ****es are lousy drivers who will cut you up as they believe they own the road. Never forgot how they blocked the quays in Dublin a couple of years ago and it took me two hours to get home.

Let the bastards piss off and strike for ever. Hackney's are the way to go, the drivers are usually human, they turn up on time and don't expect a tip.

Chris_533976

Taxi drivers dont earn money if they strike. No customers.

Let them strike till they get poor.

Victor

Take it easy guys.

Wishbone Ash

L5 wrote:

How convenient of them to choose probably the quietest time of the week for their "strike", a time when 95% of them would probably be at home in bed anyway.

Early on a Monday morning is probably their busiest time. I suspect you have never tried to book a taxi at 6am on a Monday morning or visited Dublin Airport at the same time on a Monday!

frankdrebin

Hilarious that everybody is debating about whether taxi drivers are thieving scum. The topic of the thread should be changed to one of the vote things.

Thieving scum gets my vote

Stark

Prosperous Dave wrote:

While the law of probabilities would state that there has to be a few decent taximen out there, I've never come accross any.

It's like every profession, there are a few decent eggs. Plenty of thieving scum as well though. This whole strike business does no favours for the profession's image.

Red Alert

to say they're thieving scum is idiotic. this is a political democracy, and most of them are sole businessmen. they are entitled not to be open for business if they so choose.

obviously the issue of licence compliance comes in, but i'm sure one day is allowed for.

El Stuntman

on a serious note, are they off today or what?

Wishbone Ash

El Stuntman wrote:

on a serious note, are they off today or what?

Until 1pm. (They are up in the Phoenix Park).

ciaran76

I seen a picket up at the airport today but also seen a good few dropping people off at the airport too !

godtabh

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Until 1pm. (They are up in the Phoenix Park).

I saw 2 drunk Oz lads and a Oz lady in a coma get into a taxi at 7:30 this morning. There are plenty off taxis around.

Davidth88

I would have more sympathy with the taxi drivers if they didn't bring this upon themselves.

The prices they charge to places just outside the metered zone are frankly
crazy.

Haow can anyone justify 73 euro from DUB Airport to Celbridge, when I know that if you get a taxi to Lucan from the airport costs about 35 euro , then a taxi from Lucan to Celbridge cost 12 euro.

If such a thing as a boycott was workable I would say go for it , however with the poor state of public transport .........

mikemac

Davidth88 wrote:

I would have more sympathy with the taxi drivers if they didn't bring this upon themselves.

The prices they charge to places just outside the metered zone are frankly
crazy.

I've seen this a lot lately when getting taxi's home from work.
If we work past 8pm, the company pays for our taxi home. Once the taxi driver knows the company is paying, the price always goes up.

For instance, a taxi from work to my house is about €8. But on account, there are extra charges added to the meter and it usually costs €12. The last guy addded two baggage charges.
When I questioned this he replied "Ah sure banks are awash with money".(I work for a bank)

Now I know my employer can well afford it and they’ll never notice.
Also, they never put the fare on the docket I sign until I’ve left the cab. In effect, I’m signing a blank cheque so anything can be charged.

There’s two girls here, one lives in Portlaoise and the other is Portarlington.
I know that the taxi fare for both towns is €120.

Usually they share the cab home but I was told the drivers charge €240 anyway so the company saves nothing by asking them to share.

Alas, I’m not HR Manager so nothing I can do. I’m sure it goes on in most companies who use a taxi for their staff.

Stark

I often find there's whatever stupid charge when you get into the cab (usually around €3.50). Then you stop and just before charging you whatever is shown on the meter, you get charged another €3.50!

Cantab.

I'm a taxi driver, and I challenge anyone on here to call me 'thieving scum'. I take great offence at being labelled as such.

I wasn't on strike today because I have a 9-5 job. I'm not one of the militant 'old-school' drivers with the signs on the back of their cars 'my old number was 101', I have a new plate that is in the low 30,000s.

As was said above, I'm a business man, so I work when I feel like it. I will support the union though, because it's my take-home pay that will suffer if the taxi regulator gets their way. People have a choice - if you don't like taxis, don't take them anymore. It's the regulator's job to provide a taxi service, not individual taxi drivers - so if you can't get a taxi to the airport at 6 a.m. in the morning, call the Taxi Regulators (if they're open at this time) - don't expect me to get up out of bed at 6 a.m. for E25.

I'm in SIPTU for my regular 9-5 private sector job. I see no difference between a normal worker being entitled to protest against working conditions and a taxi driver (and I do support the taxi unions when I can - i would never pass a picket, I pay my subs and I go to meetings). People just pick on taxi drivers because it's populist pub-chat - they enjoy looking down on taxi men, because it makes them feel somehow superior to them. The kind of abuse I get from drunks at weekends is awful, but I just charge 'em and drop them off on the middle of nowhere if they get too rowdy.

Colonel Sanders

A friend of mine is a taxi driver and says all the fuss is being kicked up by airport taxi men to whom he referred to as 'robbing b astards'. The fares to get a taxi from the airport is ludicrous. Unions serve a purpose in that they prevent workers from being exploited but on the other side of the foot many unions (especially in the public sector) use their weight in order to hold employers/regulators/the government to ransom. I think thats what taximen are doing. Hopefully this nation will take a stand MArgaret Thatcher would be proud of and not cave in. Let the taximen crawl back to work on their hands and knees when their children are going hungry.

Cantab.

Davidth88 wrote:

I would have more sympathy with the taxi drivers if they didn't bring this upon themselves.

The prices they charge to places just outside the metered zone are frankly
crazy.

Haow can anyone justify 73 euro from DUB Airport to Celbridge, when I know that if you get a taxi to Lucan from the airport costs about 35 euro , then a taxi from Lucan to Celbridge cost 12 euro.

Sigh. Taxi drivers don't set the fare structure, the Taxi Regulator does. You should address your concerns to the regulator.

The fare increases in September are justified - fuel is now a huge part of a driver's expenditure. Couple this with inflation and PPF national wage agreements and you'll find that the consumer is actually getting greater value for money.

Taxis aren't cheap, and you should consider getting the bus. If there's no bus, it's not my fault. I'm a sole trader, yes, I serve the public, yes, but the fact that there's no alternatives to taxis is a matter for the Department of Transport and not individual drivers.

Colonel Sanders

is the restructuring of airport fares not one of the major gripes that the taxi drivers union has and as such is one of the major causes of the strike?

Davidth88

Cantab,

Actually the fare to Celbridge that I was refering to is the one written in the
' Suggested Fares ' sheet that nearly every taxi driver seems to pull out when I say Celbridge .. and that is written by the union ( it says so on the top ) . Until the new fare structure anything outside the metered area was
' up for negotiation ' however if you have just got off a flight you don't feel like argueing.

In 2003 this fare was ' set ' at about 45 euro if I remember rightly , then it shot up to 73 almost overnight , now I don't pay it ( my company does ) but it riles me everytime. If I was paying I would order a local cab from Celbridge and pay the 35 euro they charge.

Of course the fares should go up with inflation , and I think we all accept that petrol/fuel has gone through the roof.

Wishbone Ash

Cantab. wrote:

I'm a taxi driver, and I challenge anyone on here to call me 'thieving scum'. I take great offence at being labelled as such.

I agree - a very offensive term.

Cantab. wrote:

People have a choice - if you don't like taxis, don't take them anymore.

I think that a lot of the drivers who operate out of Dublin Airport give others a bad name. There are still regular instances of drivers refusing to take fares on short distances e.g. Swords. They argue that they have been in the compound queue for 2 hours and are not going to waste that on a small fare. WTF? That's the luck of the draw. If they don't like it why don't they ply their trade elsewhere?

An American wanted to get a taxi to the Crowne Plaza the other day. The driver at the top of the queue kept insisting that there was a courtesy bus serving that hotel. The American said he wished to get a "Cab" instead and had no desire to go by minibus. He was perfectly entitled to get a taxi ito his hotel if he desired.

Late on weekend nights, I occasionally see drivers involved in fist fights caused by queue skipping. These same thugs are picking up unsuspecting passengers at the terminal.

Cantab. wrote:

The fare increases in September are justified - fuel is now a huge part of a driver's expenditure. Couple this with inflation and PPF national wage agreements and you'll find that the consumer is actually getting greater value for money.

Would you seek a fare reduction if there was negative inflation or if the price of fuel dropped?

Cantab.

Davidth88 wrote:

Cantab,

Actually the fare to Celbridge that I was refering to is the one written in the
' Suggested Fares ' sheet that nearly every taxi driver seems to pull out when I say Celbridge .. and that is written by the union ( it says so on the top ) . Until the new fare structure anything outside the metered area was
' up for negotiation ' however if you have just got off a flight you don't feel like argueing.

In 2003 this fare was ' set ' at about 45 euro if I remember rightly , then it shot up to 73 almost overnight , now I don't pay it ( my company does ) but it riles me everytime. If I was paying I would order a local cab from Celbridge and pay the 35 euro they charge.

Of course the fares should go up with inflation , and I think we all accept that petrol/fuel has gone through the roof.

Well at least in September, the journey to Celbridge will be metred all the way. So it will probably end up you costing about E80 for the 40km journey.

Davidth88

40Km to Celbridge ... you are joking of course ! According to the AA it's 29.5 Km ... ( but then again they reckon it should only take 29mins ) :-)

I am not sure how much the fares are going up ( on the meter ) however the last time I had a metered ride from the airport it was just around 40Euro.... so are the fares going up by 100 % . If so then I really can't see why you drivers are complaining.

What this will do is clear up any ' mess ' , ie the fare will be structured.

I am not against people earning a decent wage , but where I see huge descrepancies then I get narked.

BTW , I also find the term theiving scum offensive.

The morale of the story is of course we should use local taxi firms and keep the money local.

Cantab.

Davidth88 wrote:

The morale of the story is of course we should use local taxi firms and keep the money local.

And that's just it - use the local company. They have to travel twice as far (i.e. from Celbridge to the airport and back again). The whole point of having a taxi plate is that customers pay a premium for the convenience of hailing a taxi off the street.

If a person chooses to phone for a taxi and wait, then that's what they'll have to do. A hackney driver will have to park their car and find the customer at the airport, so I don't know how it is feasible for a hackney driver to go to the airport, and find the customer who may or may not still be there.

Hobart

frankdrebin and Stark banned for 1 week. Calling anybody theiveing scum is unacceptable. Doing it, when a mod has warned you not to, is idiotic.

Wishbone Ash

Cantab. wrote:

A hackney driver will have to park their car and find the customer at the airport

Just as a matter of interest Cantab., when customers pre-book a taxi, (i.e. the one's which are queued up at the rear of the church), when does the meter begin running?

Is it:

1. when the drivers leaves to go to the airport?
2. when the driver arrives at the airport?
3. when he returns to his car having located the customer?
4. none of the above?

I've always wondered! Apologies for going off-topic.

Wishbone Ash

Hobart wrote:

frankdrebin and Stark banned for 1 week. Calling anybody theiveing scum is unacceptable. Doing it, when a mod has warned you not to, is idiotic.

Hear, hear!