Taxi drivers refuse to hail Brennan's primary colours

Taxi drivers refuse to hail Brennan’s primary colours
Siobhan Maguire

THE transport minister’s plans for a standard blue-and-yellow colour code for taxis are at risk of being scuppered by the cab drivers’ union.
Sean Brennan, who plans to introduce the colour scheme to help regulate the taxi industry, is considering the colour scheme because it matches the taxi signs on the cars’ roofs.

However, taxi unions intend to upset his plans by establishing their own rival fleet of taxis in a clashing colour scheme.

Vincent Kearns, National Taxi Drivers Union vice-president, said the minister had a “bee in his bonnet” about the need for a standard colour for taxis. He claimed the industry had a “general lack of confidence” in the minister.

Brennan had hoped to introduce the scheme before announcing the appointment of a taxi regulator next month.

“There are more important issues to be discussed and implemented before we start looking at a colour scheme for taxis,” Kearns said. “The minister has a duty to appoint a (taxi) regulator and the idea of introducing a national colour-code should be way down on his list of priorities.”

Kearns’s union has conducted a feasibility study into launching a new national taxi company, made up of its 3,000 members, who would drive a uniform fleet of cars. The private company, with start-up costs estimated at €5m, would be run by a management board of union officials and taxi drivers, who will own 30% of shares in the business.

“We have not decided on a colour for our new fleet of cars but the idea will be to have our own company of cars that are the same make and colour,” said Kearns.

Taxi drivers have long been lobbying against deregulation of the industry. Kearns said there are now too many taxis in Dublin. The capital has more than 10,000 taxis, 2,500 less than in New York.

Frank Lahiffe, the minister’s special adviser, acknowleged that taxi drivers had objected to colour-coding cabs.

“While there has been some opposition, the department has a majority of support from drivers and other unions. The introduction of a colour scheme will make taxis instantly recognisable and more professional looking,” he said.

Lahiffe said it was also hoped that legislation would be introduced to address the age of cars so that all taxis would be of a similar standard and would meet safety requirements.

The department is in talks with taxi drivers to create a national identity for cabs. Laurence Kelly, a Dublin taxi driver, has proposed each car carries a sticker bearing a licence number and county crest.

“Any kind of identification for the taxi industry should be welcomed,” he said.

“The taxi industry is a fully fledged professional service Other European countries recognise this by having a national identity and colour on their cars, so it is something that should be looked at over here,” said Kelly, who has been driving taxis for 20 years.

“Something radical must be done to amend how vehicles are licensed and insured, for the good of the drivers and the consumers alike.”

Christopher Humphrey of the National Private Hire and Taxi Association said it backed the minister’s taxi colour-scheme plans: “There has been consultation with the department on the matter and we are in support of a national identity for taxis.”