Primetime on Taxis

Johnnio13

Scary stuff. I knew there was some element of dodgyness...but jaysus this is eye opening.
I saw a 98 focus outside Connolly today and thought there could be no way that could take 3 passengers comfortably. But that is just me!

Corsendonk

Trust an Irishguy to be the dodgy NCT inspector.

omahaid

That's shocking stuff, I'd hate to be working in that NCT centre tomorrow...

Johnnio13

You can fairly work out who they are too.

mystique150

I'm so mad watching this - considering how much we honest people pay to get our cars tested and retested and the testers will just pass it for a hundred quid! There will be a lot of questions to be asked after this...

salad dodger

Watching the NCT fiasco I dont know whether I'm disappointed or livid!!!!

Corsendonk

omahaid wrote: »

That's shocking stuff, I'd hate to be working in that NCT centre tomorrow...

Every centre it seems.......

hardCopy

Johnnio13 wrote: »

Scary stuff. I knew there was some element of dodgyness...but jaysus this is eye opening.
I saw a 98 focus outside Connolly today and thought there could be no way that could take 3 passengers comfortably. But that is just me!

Focus ain't that bad as a taxi. In Liverpool every second taxi is an old focus. Not as nice as a fine big merc, but capable of taking 4 passengers across town.

(what they call taxis are what we would call hackneys and vice versa)

omahaid

WTF is Noel Brett on about "confidence in the system", full of ****e

Corsendonk

P45 for that guy in the Roads Authoriaty, you can see it in his face.

omahaid

Dont worry everyone, we've enough layers of bureaucracy so that no one will be held accountable.

Johnnio13

He might get a job in AIB. 8 yes to pay back cash...system failures...?

irish147

that was shcking.,... the ntc

Johnnio13

Waste of a fine carina2e. He could have used it as a taxi!

I'm walking from now on!!

rorymcgrory

This isn't really new news I'm afraid. I heard of 2 centers doing it in louth. Digusting carry on for a few quid.

starviewadams

Pretty bad stuff,feel sorry for the lad who was working as a bus driver and then driving a taxi afterwards,I'd say he has a lot of mouths to feed to be working that many hours.

Show Time

starviewadams wrote: »

Pretty bad stuff,feel sorry for the lad who was working as a bus driver and then driving a taxi afterwards,I'd say he has a lot of mouths to feed to be working that many hours.

I would be more worried he could fall asleep at the wheel of a bus after driving his cab all night.

LaBaguette

I didnt catch the first part of it, but what I saw was awful enough.

Also, I'm new to Ireland, and I can't figure what's with the massive amout of taxis in Dublin. During the day every other car is a taxi, and past 10pm you don't see anything else. Not how things are outside of Dublin, but that's just insane.

My guess is either they are here because of the massive amount of tourists, or some Celtic tiger thing where people have enough cash not to care about paying for it. Maybe ?

Also, love the casual racism of the first woman in Frontline.

Silentcorner

You have to remember that this is another "Primetime Investigates" even if they are telling the truth I refuse to believe any of it....such is my distain for their integrity...by all means watch the points that are made but ALWAYS question a "Primetime Special"!!!!!

starviewadams

starviewadams wrote: »

Pretty bad stuff,feel sorry for the lad who was working as a bus driver and then driving a taxi afterwards,I'd say he has a lot of mouths to feed to be working that many hours.

And if an Irish immigrant was doing this in New York his hard working spirit would be praised!

c_man

starviewadams wrote: »

And if an Irish immigrant was doing this in New York his hard working spirit would be praised!

Are you seriously condoning what that man did/is doing?

Diddler1977

What went on in the NCT centre?

calex71

Diddler1977 wrote: »

What went on in the NCT centre?

100 euro got a guy a pass for his fit for scap banger.

Exclamation Marc

It's why I'm not arsed getting an NCT for my car, (2006 car).

I keep my car in great condition but that NCT "document" is not worth the paper its printed on.

calex71

FireballPitcher wrote: »

It's why I'm not arsed getting an NCT for my car, (2006 car).

I keep my car in great condition but that NCT "document" is not worth the paper its printed on.

Tell that to the judge

Skid

starviewadams wrote: »

And if an Irish immigrant was doing this in New York his hard working spirit would be praised!

No, I'm completely egalitarian on this.

I don't care where my bus driver is from - I don't want him or her driving a taxi all night and then falling asleep at the wheel the next morning.

Iwannahurl

At least the Irish language is safe with the NCT. :rolleyes:

Morlar

I watched some of the programme but not the whole thing. Did they mention the amount of ringer cars floating around ? ie same plate number on identical cars ?

JonathanAnon

rorymcgrory wrote: »

This isn't really new news I'm afraid. I heard of 2 centers doing it in louth. Digusting carry on for a few quid.

Lad in the centre in Naas was fired for the same.. Seems to be rampant..

Buscuits

The woman in Louth doing the school run in Louth.
She took 13 children and only licenced ( not updated) to take 8 ( only 8 seatbelts ) in a 1997 hiace bus.
Her excuse " im trying to save for a better bus"
Cue big boat / yacht in driveway.

just out of curiosity im just wondering why the majority of the programmes' investigations occurred in dublin / north east? and yes, i have to agree with a previous poster who stated the first lady to speak on the frontline had a mildly racist opinion, you could tell she was holding herself back from saying what she actually wanted to say.

giant_midget

Buscuits wrote: »

The woman in Louth doing the school run in Louth.
She took 13 children and only licenced ( not updated) to take 8 ( only 8 seatbelts ) in a 1997 hiace bus.
Her excuse " im trying to save for a better bus"
Cue big boat / yacht in driveway.

I was thinking the same thing! why not just sell the boat and buy a decent bus for yourself..stupid woman...

giant_midget

...And who was that mutant of a man on the front line afterwards that made no sence and blinked really quickly...The taxi driver.

Then freak number 2 with the red hair and his eyes about 2mm apart from each other...:pac:

fryup

Corsendonk wrote: »

Trust an Irishguy to be the dodgy NCT inspector.

:rolleyes:bribery is international, the MOT in the UK is rife with it

rorymcgrory wrote: »

This isn't really new news I'm afraid. I heard of 2 centers doing it in louth. Digusting carry on for a few quid.

a few quid? €100 a car the guy last night was getting a tidy sum wouldn't you agree?

gabbo is coming

giant_midget wrote: »

I was thinking the same thing! why not just sell the boat and buy a decent bus for yourself..stupid woman...

Priceless. She was a very stupid person. Surely she should be on some state benefit though??

Iwannahurl

fryup wrote: »

:rolleyes:bribery is international, the MOT in the UK is rife with it

Source?

I've done a quick search online, and the most compelling media report dates from 1993: Illegal MoT trade '£7m a year'.

Iwannahurl

Buscuits wrote: »

The woman in Louth doing the school run in Louth.
She took 13 children and only licenced ( not updated) to take 8 ( only 8 seatbelts ) in a 1997 hiace bus.
Her excuse " im trying to save for a better bus"
Cue big boat / yacht in driveway.

gabbo is coming wrote: »

Priceless. She was a very stupid person. Surely she should be on some state benefit though??

In fairness she did have the decency to look extremely embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Our cultural of non-compliance with the law in this country has a direct relationship with our culture of non-enforcement, IMO.

We may not have the laziest and most useless regulators and enforcers in the world, but we're serious competitors in that league.

Just heard a taxi association rep speaking on the radio. He said he made repeated submissions to a succession of ministers (Harney, Cullen, Brennan...) about the problems identified on PrimeTime, and of course nothing was done.

AGS also have powers in this area, and could exercise them if they chose to do so. Garda officers strolling around on the beat could have a closer look at taxis if they wanted to.

Here's an example of a barely-regulated taxi rank. It's on Bridge Street in Galway City, where the taxi rank was a free-for-all for years. Lots of Garda officers passed by the mayhem every day, because Bridge Street was on their route to the city centre from Mill Street Garda Station. I lost count of the number of times I saw them sauntering and driving by blatant illegality, without so much as glancing at the offenders.

The Council's response to the rampant illegal parking was to install railings along one side. Then they created another taxi rank on the opposite side of the road. The messing and chaos goes on. Eyre Square/Kennedy Park, another location for taxi chaos, is frequently attended by traffic wardens and Gardai. I've seen both sets of enforcers standing, strolling and chatting there when they could be scrutinising taxis much more closely.

mike65

Buscuits wrote: »

The woman in Louth doing the school run in Louth.
She took 13 children and only licenced ( not updated) to take 8 ( only 8 seatbelts ) in a 1997 hiace bus.
Her excuse " im trying to save for a better bus"
Cue big boat / yacht in driveway.

Worse than that, that vehicle was "licenced" for 5 plus a wheelchair. Even the smallest crash/collision would have injured those children who where standing up.

philstar

Silentcorner wrote: »

You have to remember that this is another "Primetime Investigates" even if they are telling the truth I refuse to believe any of it....such is my distain for their integrity...by all means watch the points that are made but ALWAYS question a "Primetime Special"!!!!!

their integrity? when has their integrity been brought into question? please tell

i applaud programmes like this, the people who make this and esp the reporter show alot of backbone tackling these issues and its a pity there aren't more people like them in this country

Iwannahurl

philstar wrote: »

their integrity? when has their integrity been brought into question? please tell

i applaud programmes like this, the people who make this and esp the reporter show alot of backbone tackling these issues its a pity there aren't more people like them in this country

Eddie Hobbs has made the point that regulators and enforcers typically ignore such problems until a media investigation forces them to take notice.

Hurray for the Fourth Estate, I say.

ei8dqb

Kathleen Doyle has to go.
1st She issue's Taxi Places but does not know how Taxi rank places are avalible.
2nd She sets the agenda of metings to suit herand wont discuss worries of the Taxi Drivers if she does not like the agenda.

And with all the people on the dole. Why only 9 inspectors for 45.000 drivers.
Its a joke
Well done Paul Maguire

Show Time

gabbo is coming wrote: »

Priceless. She was a very stupid person. Surely she should be on some state benefit though??

I would not be to shocked if she was.

Iwannahurl

gabbo is coming wrote: »

Priceless. She was a very stupid person. Surely she should be on some state benefit though??

Do you mean Kathleen Doyle should be sacked and put on the dole?

She's already in receipt of state payments, of course, though she has in the past refused to say how much.

Commission for Taxi Regulation

Commissioner: Kathleen Doyle

Salary: "I am not at liberty to disclose such information."

Capt'n Midnight

starviewadams wrote: »

Pretty bad stuff,feel sorry for the lad who was working as a bus driver and then driving a taxi afterwards,I'd say he has a lot of mouths to feed to be working that many hours.

No sympathy

First of a all a bus driver makes more than someone on social welfare.

Second he was in breech of contract by not informing DB of his other activities

As for mouths to feed, if they are in a western country then there is social welfare, if they are in a sub-saharan african country, then you have to understand that someone there who can drive is middle class and far from the breadline ( as an aside in africa taxi drivers prefer white customers, they pay better and tourists are far less likely to rob / kill taxi drivers )


considering how tough our immegration laws are I would consider it the height of stupidity to do anything that could get you deported

Capt'n Midnight

ei8dqb wrote: »

And with all the people on the dole. Why only 9 inspectors for 45.000 drivers.
Its a joke
Well done Paul Maguire

Compare that to an area where there is a tad more inspection and regulation

http://www.independent.ie/farming/news-features/high-levels-of-inspection-penalties-spurs-teagasc-to-launch-education-drive-2459458.html

High levels of inspection penalties spurs Teagasc to launch education drive

One-in-five farmers inspected last year were penalised for not complying with nitrates rules last year
...
Sheep farmers were the second most likely to be penalised.

Almost one in six were punished for not fully complying with the cross-compliance rules that govern EU farm payments.
...
The average penalty imposed on farmers last year was €660, according to Teagasc's environmental specialist, Tim Hyde.

Iwannahurl

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Compare that to an area where there is a tad more inspection and regulation

http://www.independent.ie/farming/news-features/high-levels-of-inspection-penalties-spurs-teagasc-to-launch-education-drive-2459458.html

That's the EU taking a close interest, though, isn't it?

Regulation works, and in many ways the EU is our enforcer. I wish they had been more vigilant during the Celtic Casino years.

Medu

calex71 wrote: »

100 euro got a guy a pass for his fit for scap banger.

Damn, that's expensive! I know someone that 'bribed' the NCT inspector with a few euro's! The person knew the car had 1 defect but decided to do the test to see if it had any other problems. Before going they cleaned the car and found a few euro's in change and put it in the cup-holder. To their surprise the car past the test but when they arrived home they noticed that the money was gone...

easygoing39

In fairness there was nothing new on that programme that taxidrivers rep's have'nt been saying for the past 4 years.But alas,Mrs Doyle,Ger Deering and that slimey Minister Dempsey (37 taxidriver suicides while he was transport minister!!) have just ignored them.At now with a change in goverment things seem to be moving to make the taxi industry less of a circus.I wonder how much tax that double-jobbing scum Dublin Bus driver is declaring for his extra curriculum taxi earnings??