Taxi in Shannon

mel.b

Is there ataxi rank in Shannon? I'll need a taxi on Sat morning. Driving past today i didn't see any taxis around. Or do they come from ennis?

pappyodaniel

There is an illegal rank used by hackney drivers in the town centre beside Lidl. Other then that there are loads of cab companies in the town. A quick google search and you'll get one.

As regards the illegal use of the rank, I just haven't a clue how they have been getting away with it for so long. You need a taxi plate with roof sign and meter/printer to work off a taxi rank. 99% of the cars using it are hackney cabs.

LadyTBolt

I remember one time I pulled up at that rank and there was a hackney cab just pulled in behind me. When I got out of the car the driver says to me "Excuse me, can you read" pointing at the "Taxi" sign, I replied "I sure can, it says TAXI and I've as much right to park here as you do, HACKNEY".
Felt like taking a picture of his car and emailing it to the Hackney Cabs association.

pete_mcs

Taxi rank at Shannon Airport also. Im sure you can book on of the hackney cabs in advance.

pappyodaniel

LadyTBolt wrote: »

I remember one time I pulled up at that rank and there was a hackney cab just pulled in behind me. When I got out of the car the driver says to me "Excuse me, can you read" pointing at the "Taxi" sign, I replied "I sure can, it says TAXI and I've as much right to park here as you do, HACKNEY".
Felt like taking a picture of his car and emailing it to the Hackney Cabs association.

Nicely played.

christmas2012

theres ace cabs in shannon they can be found in the phonebook - very reasonable pricing.

MarkR

How come it's illegal?

colm_mcm

A hackney should be hired on a private hire basis by phone, email, or direct contact at a hackney office. Hackney's cannot be hailed down in a public place . Hackneys have no special dispensation to use bus lanes. 

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/public_transport/regulation_of_taxis_and_small_public_service_vehicles.html

pappyodaniel

MarkR wrote: »

How come it's illegal?

What he said ^^^
but also
Ok, hypothetically, you're in Dublin, Cork or Galway for example (out of your comfort zone). You leave a pub and you're fairly well on it. You're looking for a cab home whilst walking down the street. How are you going to get home? You ask somebody where is the nearest taxi rank. You're given directions to it. You follow said directions and you arrive at an area on a street and all you see is parked cars. There's no roof plate on any car, nothing to distinguish a regular parked car from an actual taxi but if you look closely there seems to be someone sitting in the driver's seat of each car.

Bad system.

What if it was your mother, sister or daughter looking for a cab on her own? It is a bit intimidating if you think about it. She has to go up to a car parked at the side of a street (at night) and ask if it's a taxi, he says yes and she's going to take his word?

It's all well and good in Shannon where all the locals know the story as regards getting home after a night out but it should be a universal or at least national regulation where you know by eye what is a taxi and what is not. If you think about it, say for example a flight gets cancelled and a tourist is stranded in Shannon :eek:. He/She may have to spend the night in a local hotel. Boredom sets in and they decide to go and check out the local 'nightlife' and they head to the Knights.

Amhrainn na Fhiann blasts out at the end of the night. A quick burger in Supermacs and now to head back to (for example>) The Shannon Court Hotel. Where do you find a taxi?

It's just a bad system and Shannon should be up to date as regards to transport. I'm not comparing like with like but our airport and it's management seems to have this Draconian 'living in the past' mindset which filters down through all facets of society, & a simple thing like hailing a taxi gets muddled and bogged down with outdated tradition holding precedent over common sense and the actual commission for taxi regulation.

PS

The cost of buying a plate to operate as a taxi is €6500
The cost to buy a hackney licence is €1000.

Why should a hackney have the right to operate as a taxi when he/she is not going to purchase the right to do so?

Ok rant over

MarkR

Interesting. And no taxi drivers complain?

pappyodaniel

MarkR wrote: »

Interesting. And no taxi drivers complain?

The Shannon Gardaí turn a blind eye to it.

allimac

Whats the story with insurance with these guys, are they insured to pick fares up from an illegal rank?

pappyodaniel

allimac wrote: »

Whats the story with insurance with these guys, are they insured to pick fares up from an illegal rank?

Taxi insurance would be the same regardless of whether it's a hackney or taxi. They would all be insured, taxed and NCT'd.