Taxi driver protest

blahblah06

also if you read the news as you say you must have missed this

30/03/2009 - 18:12:36
Taxi drivers staging a 24-hour work stoppage tonight vowed to step up their campaign for better working conditions.

Taxi Drivers For Change, which organised the protest, said it plans to submit constructive measures that will protect their livelihoods to Government and interested parties.


Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/eyaueyqlojcw/#ixzz0SygirSB5

Spook_ie

Does it matter if we have the public on our side or not, if I'm not making enough capital to run my business then TBH it doesn't make one iota of difference.

The only thing that would make a difference would be if the public did what they keep threatening to do and boycott taxis altogether, but at this late stage ( given the downturn in my profits ) even that's not going to make much difference.

I would suggest though that the answer is partly with the public. When you get a taxi make sure it's legit, check the drivers ID, check the meter is sealed and hasn't been tampered with and above all STOP taking the taxis that are illegaly ranked at places like the bottom of Grafton St, stand by them and flag a passing taxi down or cross the road and use the legal rank. You ( the lazy customer who would aid and abet some taxi drivers to break the law ) are the ones causing some of the problems..

gdael

Spook_ie wrote: »

Does it matter if we have the public on our side or not, if I'm not making enough capital to run my business then TBH it doesn't make one iota of difference.

The only thing that would make a difference would be if the public did what they keep threatening to do and boycott taxis altogether, but at this late stage ( given the downturn in my profits ) even that's not going to make much difference.

I would suggest though that the answer is partly with the public. When you get a taxi make sure it's legit, check the drivers ID, check the meter is sealed and hasn't been tampered with and above all STOP taking the taxis that are illegaly ranked at places like the bottom of Grafton St, stand by them and flag a passing taxi down or cross the road and use the legal rank. You ( the lazy customer who would aid and abet some taxi drivers to break the law ) are the ones causing some of the problems..

You forgot the most important advice of all for the customer.

NEVER get into any taxi without securing at least a 20% discount off the meter.

The lazy customer will always end up paying more than they should.

Spook_ie

gdael wrote: »

You for got the most important advice of all for the customer.

NEVER get into any taxi without securing at least a 20% discount off the meter.

The lazy customer will always end up paying more than they should.

That's your perogative, just means you'll never be a customer in my taxi. I can live with that given your attitude

Taxipete29

Zulu wrote: »

WTF

Here's a straight question for you:

What problem do you have with fair competition?

I dont have a problem with fair competition.

Is it fair competition though when there are illegal operators who have either no proper licence, proper insurance or are driving a cloned car??

Is it fair competition when most drivers invest in their car and licence yet up until recently some people who were long term unemployed were given large grants to set up as taxi drivers. This included the cost of obtaining the spsv licence and attending the training course to pass the test.

Drivers want the rules enforced. The rules the regulator has brought in but hasnt seen fit to enforce to any degree. There are 9 enforcement officers for the whole country when I last spoke to her office about 6 months ago. This is for 26000 taxis approx.

Drivers want the enforcement of section 36. This is about people with criminal records being stripped of their licences and also preventing criminals from obtaining licences in the future.

Is this so unreasonable???

Zulu

Spook_ie wrote: »

Get it right, you said the taxidrivers control the price, we don't the taxi regulator controls the price, myself as a taxidriver decide if you warrant a discount

I take it you don't see the contradiction there. :rolleyes:
I got it right. The regulator controls the maximum price. You control the price. You can choose, as you suggested, to lower that price.

I don not control the price,

You do.

it's fixed as per regulations.

Only the maximum price is fixed.

I don not count people who have a PAYE job as being on a level pitch, neither do I count people on Back To Work Enterprise Allowences as being on a level pitch.

Why not? You all drive a cab. Whats the difference?

When those margins are being pressured from sources other than fair competition, I reserve the right to moan 'n whinge, as you put it.

"Other than fair competition", whats not fair about the competition? Do they have super cabs? Flying cabs?? Time machines??? Whats not fair about the competition?

I drive my taxi full time to make a living and provide for my family responsibilities, as well as to make enough capital to reinvest in the business and keep the present investment on the road. To be forced into working excessive hours to keep my business afloat is not in the interests of either myself or the customer.

Oh, I see. So you'd prefer us to be left waiting for hours, just to ensure you always have a fare is it? Get real. You are competiting in an open market. That's the nature of capitalism.

blahblah06 wrote: »

Have u ever heard of 8202020?

You ever heard of answering a straight question:
Whats your problem with fair competition?

At least we got Spook_ie's answer: it's competition! He's against competition.

Spook_ie wrote: »

You ( the lazy customer who would aid and abet some taxi drivers to break the law ) are the ones causing some of the problems..

Yes, of couse! It's our fault. :rolleyes:

blahblah06

zulu read what peat just said and get a life. I answered all I was asked. its also ot our fault there is illegals on the raod and parking illegally now is it. thats what were fighting for. trying to help you and us

Zulu

Taxipete29 wrote: »

I dont have a problem with fair competition.

Clearly you do if you wish to limit the amount of taxi plates on offer.

Is it fair competition though when there are illegal operators who have either no proper licence, proper insurance or are driving a cloned car??

If it's already illegal isn't that a problem for the Guards? How is blocking the capital going to resolve that?

Is it fair competition when most drivers invest in their car and licence yet up until recently some people who were long term unemployed were given large grants to set up as taxi drivers.

Ah right, so we shouldn't give support to unemployed people to help them get a job?

Drivers want the enforcement of section 36. This is about people with criminal records being stripped of their licences and also preventing criminals from obtaining licences in the future.

Thats what the protest was about? Really?? Pull the other one. If business was booming you wouldn't give a monkeys fuck in a Siberian snow storm for section 36. You were protesting against fair competition.

Is this so unreasonable???

Is disrupting approx 1 million people because you are finding the current economy difficult unreasonable? Yes. Yes it is.

Rowley Birkin QC

Spook_ie wrote: »

I would suggest though that the answer is partly with the public. When you get a taxi make sure it's legit, check the drivers ID, check the meter is sealed and hasn't been tampered with and above all STOP taking the taxis that are illegaly ranked at places like the bottom of Grafton St, stand by them and flag a passing taxi down or cross the road and use the legal rank. You ( the lazy customer who would aid and abet some taxi drivers to break the law ) are the ones causing some of the problems..

You are presuming that people care about this issue. To be perfectly honest, on the very rare occasions that I want a taxi, I'll take the nearest one around. Doesn't particularly bother me where he was parked up beforehand.

We, your customers, are the ones causing the problems?! Seriously?

blahblah06

Zulu wrote: »

Clearly you do if you wish to limit the amount of taxi plates on offer.

Drivers are calling for the suspension of new licences and a review of the taxi industry.

you cant fix a problem with an industry if things are not put on hold

blahblah06

bigkev49 wrote: »

You are presuming that people care about this issue. To be perfectly honest, on the very rare occasions that I want a taxi, I'll take the nearest one around. Doesn't particularly bother me where he was parked up beforehand.

We, your customers, are the ones causing the problems?! Seriously?

do u care if there illegal drivers ?

Zulu

blahblah06 wrote: »

zulu read what peat just said and get a life.

Don't tell me to "get a life", it's rude & ignorant.
So you're still going to aviod the question then?

I answered all I was asked.

You haven't. You are lying. You have not answered this one question:
What is your problem with fair competition?

blahblah06

Zulu wrote: »

Don't tell me to "get a life", it's rude & ignorant.
So you're still going to aviod the question then?
You haven't. You are lying. You have not answered this one question:
What is your problem with fair competition?

never said i had a prob with FAIR competition. get a life

btw its avoid..

Rowley Birkin QC

blahblah06 wrote: »

Drivers are calling for the suspension of new licences and a review of the taxi industry.

you cant fix a problem with an industry if things are not put on hold

When will the message get through, it's up to the industry to fix itself!

If you are not happy with the amount of money you are getting/your conditions then get out of it and go do something else. Taxi driving is a low skill, low wage means of employment. Talking it up to be something else and thinking that the govt. or the public at large is particularly interested is laughable at best, delusional at the other end of things.

Hootanany

Are the illegal taxis cheaper if so vote with your pocket

Rowley Birkin QC

blahblah06 wrote: »

do u care if there illegal drivers ?

Illegal as in they don't pull in at ranks or illegal as in they are unlicensed?

Unlicensed: yes, I care.
Don't pull in at ranks etc.: couldn't care less.

blahblah06

bigkev49 wrote: »

When will the message get through, it's up to the industry to fix itself!

If you are not happy with the amount of money you are getting/your conditions then get out of it and go do something else. Taxi driving is a low skill, low wage means of employment. Talking it up to be something else and thinking that the govt. or the public at large is particularly interested is laughable at best, delusional at the other end of things.

the taxi industry has a taxi regulator who along with the gov fixes the problems on our behalf just like management do for staff.

Im quite happy with the amount of money im getting but I am prepared to fight for my future and familys future to minimise as much damage as possible is caused

blahblah06

bigkev49 wrote: »

Illegal as in they don't pull in at ranks or illegal as in they are unlicensed?

Unlicensed: yes, I care.
Don't pull in at ranks etc.: couldn't care less.

how do you know if there licensed may I ask ?

Also I thought the arguments been made earlier on in this thread were people giving out about saying taxi drivers work from the ranks and not the streets

Spook_ie

Zulu wrote: »

I take it you don't see the contradiction there. :rolleyes:
I got it right. The regulator controls the maximum price. You control the price. You can choose, as you suggested, to lower that price.
You do.
Only the maximum price is fixed.
Why not? You all drive a cab. Whats the difference?
"Other than fair competition", whats not fair about the competition? Do they have super cabs? Flying cabs?? Time machines??? Whats not fair about the competition?
Oh, I see. So you'd prefer us to be left waiting for hours, just to ensure you always have a fare is it? Get real. You are competiting in an open market. That's the nature of capitalism.
You ever heard of answering a straight question:
Whats your problem with fair competition?

At least we got Spook_ie's answer: it's competition! He's against competition.

Yes, of couse! It's our fault. :rolleyes:

No you're still in error, the taxi driver does not control the price, he controls the amount ( if any ) discount he's prepared to offer. That is not in control of the price as the original post intimated.

If you do not understand about " fairness of competition " in the context outlined, then I would suggest that you need to further your education perhaps a course on business start up cost/business running costs/self employed taxation etc.

As to being left waiting for hours, no, just not able to walk out of any pub/chippy/cinema etc. to find an illegal rank of about 20 taxis, 5-10 minutes wait for a taxi would not ( in my view ) be unreasonable.

You do have my answer, please don't paraphase it, I am against unfair competition as you would know if you actualy read the posts

As to what do I have against fair competition, myself nothing, I'll fight any businessman ( which is what I am ) on a level pitch. I don not count people who have a PAYE job as being on a level pitch, neither do I count people on Back To Work Enterprise Allowences as being on a level pitch.

If you allow taxis that are not legaly plying for hire to take you, YES you are at fault, no need for a rolling of the eyes, I suspect that you are the type of person that would complain about walking the 20 meters to the legal rank because it's to far!

Zulu

blahblah06 wrote: »

never said i had a prob with FAIR competition.

You did when you went on protest.

get a life

Stop telling me to "get a life" it's rude & ignorant.

btw its avoid..

You are seriously correcting my spelling? Seriously?? You??? Spelling???? That's fucking comical.

blahblah06

Zulu wrote: »

You did when you went on protest.
Stop telling me to "get a life" it's rude & ignorant.

You are seriously correcting my spelling? Seriously?? You??? Spelling???? That's fucking comical.

I think you will find out 100 taxi drivers went on strike. How do u know I went?

As ive said before ive no prob with new drivers coming into the game once there up to scratch and legal.

Yes I am correcting your spelling as people like to do that on this thread. get a life.

now so thats all the questions asked lets see what other sh*t people come up with

Spook_ie

bigkev49 wrote: »

When will the message get through, it's up to the industry to fix itself!

If you are not happy with the amount of money you are getting/your conditions then get out of it and go do something else. Taxi driving is a low skill, low wage means of employment. Talking it up to be something else and thinking that the govt. or the public at large is particularly interested is laughable at best, delusional at the other end of things.

OH I'm delusional because I see myself as a self employed businessman? That's the only thing that's wrong here, the public misconception that they don't realise we are all running a sole trader business..

Taxipete29

Zulu wrote: »

Clearly you do if you wish to limit the amount of taxi plates on offer.
If it's already illegal isn't that a problem for the Guards? How is blocking the capital going to resolve that?

Ah right, so we shouldn't give support to unemployed people to help them get a job?

Thats what the protest was about? Really?? Pull the other one. If business was booming you wouldn't give a monkeys fuck in a Siberian snow storm for section 36. You were protesting against fair competition.

Is disrupting approx 1 million people because you are finding the current economy difficult unreasonable? Yes. Yes it is.

Where in this thread did I say I wanted to restrcit the number of plates??

The regulators office has responsibilty for this. The guards have washed their hands of it as a result.

Look if you think these people getting this handout from the government is fair competition then I am not going to waste my time arguing the point with you.

That was part of it. Not all but part of what drivers want.

I wasnt protesting, I didnt protest, I wasnt involved in the protest. How many different ways would you like me to say it. I have no problem debating the issue with you but at least have the courtesy to read what I have previously written.

Yes it is unreasonable. As I said above though. I WASNT INVOLVED

Zulu

Spook_ie wrote: »

No you're still in error, the taxi driver does not control the price, he controls the amount ( if any ) discount he's prepared to offer.

And hence the cost of the product to the customer. So in other words, the price.

If you do not understand about " fairness of competition " in the context outlined, then I would suggest that you need to further your education perhaps a course on business start up cost/business running costs/self employed taxation etc.

I understand perfectly well, I'm self employed and running a business successfully, so I'll forego your advice thanks. You'd do well to heed your own advice though.

I am against unfair competition as you would know if you actualy read the posts

Whats unfair about the competition? You all have cars. Do some have flying cars?

I suspect that you are the type of person that would complain about walking the 20 meters to the legal rank because it's to far!

You can think what you like, but beware, you might encourage to "suspect" what type of person you are.

Spook_ie

Hootanany wrote: »

Are the illegal taxis cheaper if so vote with your pocket

Yep sensible answer, then when the entire taxi industry is illegal it'll be a level playing field. I'll just renew my insurance as an ordinary car then, that'll save me about €2K, why bother with a meter that'll save another few euro, oh **** let's go the whole way and I'll not even bother with a plate......

Zulu

blahblah06 wrote: »

I think you will find out 100 taxi drivers went on strike. How do u know I went?

So you didn't protest?

Yes I am correcting your spelling as people like to do that on this thread.

And do you enjoy it? Does it make you feel smart? Do you feel like you've got one up?
Because everyone else thinks its very sad.

get a life.

I've now already asked you twice to stop telling me to "get a life" it's rude & ignorant. Do you wish to be perceived as a rude & ignorant person?

population

Zulu wrote: »

Clearly you do if you wish to limit the amount of taxi plates on offer.
If it's already illegal isn't that a problem for the Guards? How is blocking the capital going to resolve that?

Ah right, so we shouldn't give support to unemployed people to help them get a job?

Thats what the protest was about? Really?? Pull the other one. If business was booming you wouldn't give a monkeys fuck in a Siberian snow storm for section 36. You were protesting against fair competition.

Is disrupting approx 1 million people because you are finding the current economy difficult unreasonable? Yes. Yes it is.

Good post

blahblah06

Zulu wrote: »

So you didn't protest?
And do you enjoy it? Does it make you feel smart? Do you feel like you've got one up?
Because everyone else thinks its very sad.
I've now already asked you twice to stop telling me to "get a life" it's rude & ignorant. Do you wish to be perceived as a rude & ignorant person?

nope I did not protest

well I thought it was quite sad but people seem to accept it.

I like saying get a life.

Spook_ie

Zulu wrote: »

And hence the cost of the product to the customer. So in other words, the price.

I understand perfectly well, I'm self employed and running a business successfully, so I'll forego your advice thanks. You'd do well to heed your own advice though.

Whats unfair about the competition? You all have cars. Do some have flying cars?

You can think what you like, but beware, you might encourage to "suspect" what type of person you are.

Point of order...It's not a product it's a service, the service has a regulated charge, which I may offer a discount on, I don't, therefore the price is set by the regulator. I often ( in the good ol' days had people offering silly prices to take them somewhere I never did any job for more than the price set by the regulatory framework in existence at the time.

I do heed my own advice, wouldn't be much good as advice if I ignored it myself.

Any business that's subjected to outside influence and interference that benefits one businessman over another is unfair competition.

Santa Claus

I think the new Taxi Regulator is a waste of time, carraige office always did a good job in the past and took direct action on any complaints received (they also used to drive round stopping taxi and checking their licence etc occassionally).

Anyway the taxi drivers protesting were just stupid, pissing off their own customers because they're finding it hard to make a living. If they wanted to block a street then why didn't they pick kildare street and block the dail so the TDs couldn't drive home at 2pm on Thursday afternoon for the weekend ?

I only use 1 particular taxi company because they're prompt, the cars are generally very clean and the drivers never moan about how hard it is to make a living....In fact some of the drivers say that there's loads of account/radio work out there (but that's not cash in hand and some taxi drivers prefer cash in hand jobs).