Unlicenced Taxis - I remember people saying it wasn't happening

Spook_ie

So proof of the pudding
bogey taxis

During May a total of 21 unlicensed operators were detected in different areas of the country. These comprised:

11 unlicensed operators detected in Dublin;
3 unlicensed operators detected in Kildare;
1 unlicensed operator detected in Mayo;
1 unlicensed operator in Roscommon;
1 unlicensed operator detected in Donegal;
1 unlicensed operator detected in Louth;
1 unlicensed operator detected in Wicklow;
1 unlicensed operator detected in Kerry; and
1 unlicensed operator detected in Wexford

Remember theses are only the ones detected

monument

Who said it was not happening?

Spook_ie

Either of these threads should answer that

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055227874
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055342819

But specificly I seem to recall the TR saying there wasn't a problem with unlicensed taxis and drivers

coylemj

Spook_ie wrote: »

Either of these threads should answer that

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055227874
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055342819

But specificly I seem to recall the TR saying there wasn't a problem with unlicensed taxis and drivers

Both of those thread are 6 years old????

Spook_ie

coylemj wrote: »

Both of those thread are 6 years old????

Yeah and did people or did they not give the impression it wasn't happening or if it was it didn't matter?

Isn't it crazy that we the taxi drivers were giving out about bogey taxis, bogey drivers and excessive congestion 6 years ago, to no avail because, sure, we only wanted to get our cushy cartel back in order

Mrs OBumble

One per working day. That's a minuscule rate in a country this size.

coylemj

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

One per working day. That's a minuscule rate in a country this size.

+1 It's a tiny fraction of the number of drunk drivers and speeding motorists detected during the same period (one month) so hardly represents a major crime wave.

Spook_ie

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

One per working day. That's a minuscule rate in a country this size.

coylemj wrote: »

+1 It's a tiny fraction of the number of drunk drivers and speeding motorists detected during the same period (one month) so hardly represents a major crime wave.

1 per working day in May 2014, like to guess how many in the last 10 years, or even the last 6 months?

coylemj

Spook_ie wrote: »

1 per working day in May 2014, like to guess how many in the last 10 years, or even the last 6 months?

No, but be my guest - do you want to borrow my calculator?

_Kaiser_

I'm not up to speed on the taxi game myself but...

Does unlicensed mean no license at all, lapsed license (I assume they need to be renewed every so often?) or operating outside their assigned area?

How do they get the sign, fare meter etc - are these not controlled/registered?

What's your point? I'm not being smart, this reads like a "so there!" but I'm not sure to who? It's almost like a post that got detached from a longer thread.

Losty Dublin

Spook_ie wrote: »

1 per working day in May 2014, like to guess how many in the last 10 years, or even the last 6 months?

Lets assume that the taxi enforcement officers work 200 days a year. They are on the go now since about 2008; that would make a conservative 1,200 working days for your one offence a day, Spook.

In a fleet of circa 25,000 taxis and hackneys, that's actually a fair chunk of offences all told. It won't represent what the GardaSiochana deal with.

Losty Dublin

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Does unlicensed mean no license at all, lapsed license (I assume they need to be renewed every so often?) or operating outside their assigned area?

How do they get the sign, fare meter etc - are these not controlled/registered?

What's your point? I'm not being smart, this reads like a "so there!" but I'm not sure to who? It's almost like a post that got detached from a longer thread.

In short, these are a mix of offences reported.

Given the nature of inspections by enforcement officers it's easier to pick up licence offences by an officer when in car. This would include ranking illegally, operating with no PSV licence and picking up passengers outside of ones area, an offence which is unique to taxi drivers only, private bookings don't require a local PSV licence whereas street pick up's do.

Unlicenced is the same as a lapsed licence and may apply to both the vehicle and the driver or even both at the one time.

On meters and plates, these are purchased privately by taxi owners and not from the NTA. What the NTA does issue are the number of a new taxi plate along with the appropiate paperwork. There are a few companies who sell roof signs and a few again who sell, programme and maintain meters; the NTA and Revenue's Weights and Measures know who's on in this regard. Generally these firms deal with one brand of meter each; they will only supply, fit or service their own brands to drivers with conditional offers of new licences or with current licences from the NTA. You will see some equipment sold second hand by ex driver; very seldom stolen plates and meters crop up.

Spook_ie

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Lets assume that the taxi enforcement officers work 200 days a year. They are on the go now since about 2008; that would make a conservative 1,200 working days for your one offence a day, Spook.

In a fleet of circa 25,000 taxis and hackneys, that's actually a fair chunk of offences all told. It won't represent what the GardaSiochana deal with.

I think you're making the assumption that they actually found 1 a day prior to May 2014, I'm more inclined to think they found rather less

Losty Dublin

Spook_ie wrote: »

I think you're making the assumption that they actually found 1 a day prior to May 2014, I'm more inclined to think they found rather less

Possibly, yeah. I'm being conservative here, don't ya know

expectationlost

if this is regular occurance where are the stats for last month?

there was crackdown recently http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/ireland/article1420066.ece

More than 280 taxi drivers have been charged or fined in the past two months, following a crackdown by the NTA. Its inspectors have checked about 3,700 taxis in two months.

The Department of Transport said 33 “bogus” drivers were detected and face prosecution, while 250 licensed drivers were fined for other offences.

New taxi regulations came into effect in April, and the government agreed to 15 extra compliance officers for the NTA to enforce the new rules.

Part of Operation Taximeter https://twitter.com/alankellylabour/status/451474629400723456

http://thecorknews.ie/articles/operation-taximeter-way-14234

New Regulations to be introduced along with a tripling of the NTA’s Taxi Enforcement Team
http://www.dttas.ie/press-releases/2014/govt-announces-new-taxi-regulations-and-commencement-%E2%80%98operation-taximeter%E2%80%99

spurious

I have that Taxi Driver Check App on my phone and was waiting for a friend in a coffee shop the other day and idly entering taxi numbers as they passed me. A very high proportion were not returning a result. High enough that I really hope it's a problem with the app, not an indication of how many dodgy taxi drivers are out there.

howiya

spurious wrote: »

I have that Taxi Driver Check App on my phone and was waiting for a friend in a coffee shop the other day and idly entering taxi numbers as they passed me. A very high proportion were not returning a result. High enough that I really hope it's a problem with the app, not an indication of how many dodgy taxi drivers are out there.

Is there a report option on the app?

Spook_ie

spurious wrote: »

I have that Taxi Driver Check App on my phone and was waiting for a friend in a coffee shop the other day and idly entering taxi numbers as they passed me. A very high proportion were not returning a result. High enough that I really hope it's a problem with the app, not an indication of how many dodgy taxi drivers are out there.

howiya wrote: »

Is there a report option on the app?

There is a report function but despite reporting dozens of cars I don't think the reports actually go anywhere as you can report the same car for weeks and nothing happens

expectationlost

iCABS A Taxi Compliance
& Inspection Mobile Application System for Irelands National Transport Authority http://www.openskydata.com/assets/media/downloads/iCABS2014.pdf openskydata

http://www.openskydata.com/our-clients/case-studies/icabs-assisting-realtime-taxi-auditing-at-irelands-national-transport-authority.html

expectationlost

Thousands of city taxi drivers hide from gardai http://www.herald.ie/news/thousands-of-city-taxi-drivers-hide-from-gardai-30393493.html

Gerard Macken, who is on the National Transport Authority's (NTA) taxi advisory committee and is a member of the Taxi Alliance of Ireland, estimated that there were 25pc fewer taxis operating in Dublin.

He said that some estimates placed the figure at close to 33pc of all registered drivers.

not taxi alliance members one hopes

expectationlost

ROGUE taxi drivers should not have been told in advance about a garda crackdown over the weekend, according to the head of the Irish Taxi Drivers Federation (ITDF).

http://www.herald.ie/news/mistake-to-tip-taxi-drivers-on-crackdown-30395742.html

But a spokesman for the minister defended the decision to announce the clampdown before it was enforced, calling it a deterrent and a preventative measure. "This is typical policy for garda action," he said. He said that the initiative was led by gardai, who had requested that the minister help to launch it.

hmmm

punisher5112

Great lets tell everyone there is check points so we all stay away from town or take that day off.

Seems very stupid to me....

expectationlost

Clampdown on rogue taxi drivers reportedly resulted in no arrests http://www.thejournal.ie/rogue-taxi-drivers-2-1564651-Jul2014/

who said there would be?

The Department of Transport defended making the public aware of the clampdown ahead of time, saying it is standard practice.

The enforcement efforts of An Garda Síochána are a matter for them to comment on. However, publicising such operations is not unusual and works as a deterrent and a preventative measure against bad behaviour.

No arrests were made in rogue taxi check
http://www.herald.ie/news/no-arrests-were-made-in-rogue-taxi-check-30420317.html

Losty Dublin

expectationlost wrote: »

Clampdown on rogue taxi drivers reportedly resulted in no arrestshttp://www.thejournal.ie/rogue-taxi-drivers-2-1564651-Jul2014/

who said there would be?




No arrests were made in rogue taxi check
http://www.herald.ie/news/no-arrests-were-made-in-rogue-taxi-check-30420317.html

Very few of the offences relating to the operation of taxi's would warrant arrests, mind.

trellheim

Bet if they stood there watching a fleet of taxis blocking Fade street every Saturday night they'd arrest them.