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Taxi driver protest

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  • 04-03-2009 8:13pm
    #1
    murts
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭


    Taxi drivers from all over the country are descending on the capital tomorow (Thursday 5th march) to highlight the need for a cap on licences.
    Drivers will be meeting at different locations and then driving in convoys to Stephens Green and Merrion Square.
    Meeting points have been organised at Liffey Valley , Airside and Stillorgan. Up to 5000 taxis are predicted to take part in the biggest taxi protest ever held in the state. Drivers have been forced into this action as Minister Noel Dempsey has refused to sit down and listen to the drivers plea for a temporary cap on licences.


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    #2
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 16,720 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    What time is it at?


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    #3
    localhothead
    Closed Accounts Posts: 55 ✭✭localhothead


    hummer time


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    #4
    leincar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 683 ✭✭✭leincar


    12 Noon I believe.


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    #5
    acontadino
    Closed Accounts Posts: 335 ✭✭acontadino


    class, my dad(a taxi driver) just organised to get loads of african taxi drivers to go to the march. ah my dad...what an absolute hero.


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    #6
    Vic_08
    Registered Users Posts: 3,041 ✭✭✭Vic_08


    thousands of taxis intentionally blocking Dublin's major roads; same as every other day then.


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    #7
    Highsider
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,384 ✭✭✭Highsider


    They'll be getting zero support from me. Creaming it for years not paying tax and overpricing to beat the band.


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    #8
    acontadino
    Closed Accounts Posts: 335 ✭✭acontadino


    come on, there is a lot of good ones as well. they do deserve some sort of protection. they just want to help their family for god sake.


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    #9
    P_1
    Registered Users Posts: 14,681 ✭✭✭✭P_1


    When will this protest finish? Will the roads be clear again around 4?


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    #10
    Trampas
    Registered Users Posts: 7,395 ✭✭✭Trampas


    pithater1 wrote: »
    When will this protest finish? Will the roads be clear again around 4?

    Well they might lose a few on the way as they pick up fares


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    #11
    2qk4u
    Registered Users Posts: 1,163 ✭✭✭2qk4u


    Highsider wrote: »
    They'll be getting zero support from me. Creaming it for years not paying tax and overpricing to beat the band.

    Why is it a problem for you that taxi drivers made a good living ?
    Taxi drivers have to pay tax or no licence.
    Taxi fares are calculated on the meter, if you dont want to pay the fare then dont get in a taxi.
    I suppose you are a model citizen ?


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    #12
    Badabing
    Registered Users Posts: 1,907 ✭✭✭Badabing


    Is it a strike? because im working tommorow no matter what.


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    #13
    koopa troopa
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1 ✭koopa troopa


    Just when I thought I could despise taxi drivers no more than I do, they pull another arse protest like this, dont these goons realise they are directly hurting the people who pay their income? why not do something that imapcts the goverment rather than joe soap on his way to/home from work??

    Yep I really hate these tossers!!!

    Q the taxi loving trolls....bring it on!!!


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    #14
    AlekSmart
    Registered Users Posts: 14,005 ✭✭✭✭AlekSmart


    The rather unpalatable fact for many is that a Taxi Driver is Self-Employed.

    If he/she withdraws their labour then it is against themselves that the action is taken.

    This can be seen during each Taxi-Driver strike/protest when the protesters are forced to shout abuse or make threatening gestures at the Many other Taxi Drivers who continue to work "normally".

    It was noticeable during last week`s protest that during the march across O Connell Bridge stewards had to be quick to restrain some protesters from taking things a bit further when Non-Protesting Taxi`s stopped to pick up fares directly in front of the Marchers........Definitely NOT a wise move I felt....purely from a commonsense point of view.


    Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

    Charles Mackay (1812-1889)



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    #15
    positron
    Registered Users Posts: 6,283 ✭✭✭positron


    Anyone know what exactly are they doing this for?

    I don't understand how/why taxi drivers deserve any more protection than average Joe. If the high number of taxis out there is reducing the income of average taxi driver, I would say market forces would come into play soon (some will quit sooner or later) and the situation will correct itself. Or when competition pushes fares down and quality of service up, public would use taxis more may be, and that should keep more people in business.

    I don't understand how someone or a group can ask the government to protect their interest when that is against the interest of rest of the nation. Taxis are not really an 'essential public service' like Garda, Post etc for Government to 'protect'.

    May be Taxi drivers are protesting to ask the government to bring in regulation to improve the standard of service - certain standards for cabs, code of conduct for drivers, some centralized technology solution to picking up fares and registering income etc.. etc.. In that case, they have my respect!


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    #16
    bcirl03
    Registered Users Posts: 484 ✭✭bcirl03


    Highsider wrote: »
    They'll be getting zero support from me. Creaming it for years not paying tax and overpricing to beat the band.

    +1 100%


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    #17
    paulm17781
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,858 ✭✭✭paulm17781


    They claim they want higher standards and they claim the public mainly support them. I got scolded by insisting they're going about it wrong as all anyone thinks is that they want a cap on licenses.

    http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0305/taxi.html is from today's news. Not a mention of standards, just how difficult it is to make a living, as though no one else is suffering. :rolleyes:

    Queue taxi drivers coming in here saying it's not fair...


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    #18
    Taxipete29
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,531 ✭✭✭Taxipete29


    AlekSmart wrote: »

    It was noticeable during last week`s protest that during the march across O Connell Bridge stewards had to be quick to restrain some protesters from taking things a bit further when Non-Protesting Taxi`s stopped to pick up fares directly in front of the Marchers........Definitely NOT a wise move I felt....purely from a commonsense point of view.

    This is completly untrue and unless you can back it up I suggest you retract it. I was on this protest this most certainly did not happen.


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    #19
    loyatemu
    Registered Users Posts: 14,743 ✭✭✭✭loyatemu


    whats the situation in London? - my understanding is that you have to have a black cab (expensive), and pass a fairly difficuly knowledge test. Is there also a cap on license numbers?


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    #20
    Ham'nd'egger
    Registered Users Posts: 3,025 ✭✭✭Ham'nd'egger


    loyatemu wrote: »
    whats the situation in London? - my understanding is that you have to have a black cab (expensive), and pass a fairly difficuly knowledge test. Is there also a cap on license numbers?

    No cap on either licences or drivers in the UK. There is a far higher standard of testing involved, Medicals are required, police checks must be supplied by applicants and the general testing is pricier to apply for though not excessive and plates are dearer. In some markets, specialized cars are required (Enter the legendary black cab) while some markets administer a harder test such as London's knowledge. The training for the Knowledge takes the average man 4 years and 12 exam sittings to pass, the training courses can cost a lot over this time.

    http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/businessandpartners/PCO-Knowledge-examinations-system.pdf

    London has about 25,000 taxi drivers driving black cabs. Dublin had about 16,000 taxis serving it up until October 2006.


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    #21
    HydeRoad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 495 ✭✭HydeRoad


    paulm17781 wrote: »
    They claim they want higher standards and they claim the public mainly support them. I got scolded by insisting they're going about it wrong as all anyone thinks is that they want a cap on licenses.

    http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0305/taxi.html is from today's news. Not a mention of standards, just how difficult it is to make a living, as though no one else is suffering. :rolleyes:

    Queue taxi drivers coming in here saying it's not fair...

    The media put their own spin on it too. The taxi drivers are aware of that. We don't have the media on our side, any more than anyone else.

    As for coming in here to say it's not fair, no, we had a long, long thread, all last week, arguing out all the wheres and whys, and while no conclusions were arrived at, I would have hoped that on both sides there was a bit of enlightenment following all the explanations of each other's viewpoint.

    Then somebody comes along and starts a brand new thread, digging up the whole argument again, as if having never bothered to read last week's discourse all about this very same topic.

    I've better things to do than keep coming in every week to the latest brand new thread on the same subject, week after week. Perhaps if people bothered to read posts before starting new ones...

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055498613

    The OP has just two posts to his name!!! I suppose he won't even bother to return to read the thread he started. Now THERE'S something to :rolleyes: about!


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    #22
    paulm17781
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,858 ✭✭✭paulm17781


    HydeRoad wrote: »
    The media put their own spin on it too. The taxi drivers are aware of that. We don't have the media on our side, any more than anyone else.

    As for coming in here to say it's not fair, no, we had a long, long thread, all last week, arguing out all the wheres and whys, and while no conclusions were arrived at, I would have hoped that on both sides there was a bit of enlightenment following all the explanations of each other's viewpoint.

    Agreed, I tried telling people that getting better public / media support was a better course of action but this was "bugging" some posters there.

    The attitude of we'll protest until we get what we want is enough to put me off supporting you, whatever the reasons. The public and media don't either. You're fighting a losing battle and I hope it costs you.


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    #23
    cichlid child
    Registered Users Posts: 644 ✭✭✭cichlid child


    Originally Posted by Highsider View Post
    They'll be getting zero support from me. Creaming it for years not paying tax and overpricing to beat the band.
    bcirl03 wrote: »
    +1 100%
    +2 100%


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    #24
    dubhthach
    Registered Users Posts: 3,284 ✭✭✭dubhthach


    No doubt like the last protest they'll play such gems as the "Corrs" and "Put them under pressure" (Italia 90) in Fitzwilliam Square. I found it quite interesting that they only wanted to play Irish music (and fairly lame irish music at that) over their microphone.


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    #25
    lods
    Registered Users Posts: 569 ✭✭✭lods


    dubhthach wrote: »
    No doubt like the last protest they'll play such gems as the "Corrs" and "Put them under pressure" (Italia 90) in Fitzwilliam Square. I found it quite interesting that they only wanted to play Irish music (and fairly lame irish music at that) over their microphone.

    I hope the Guards & the clampers do their job today.No other group of protesters can car their cars where they want.:mad:


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    #26
    lods
    Registered Users Posts: 569 ✭✭✭lods


    dubhthach wrote: »
    No doubt like the last protest they'll play such gems as the "Corrs" and "Put them under pressure" (Italia 90) in Fitzwilliam Square. I found it quite interesting that they only wanted to play Irish music (and fairly lame irish music at that) over their microphone.

    I hope the Guards & the clampers do their job today.No other group of protesters can park their cars where they want.:mad:


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    #27
    lods
    Registered Users Posts: 569 ✭✭✭lods


    Taxipete29 wrote: »
    This is completly untrue and unless you can back it up I suggest you retract it. I was on this protest this most certainly did not happen.

    yes it did. i saw it too.


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    #28
    sharkman
    Registered Users, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 6,515 Mod ✭✭✭✭sharkman


    Taxipete29 wrote: »
    This is completly untrue and unless you can back it up I suggest you retract it. I was on this protest this most certainly did not happen.

    have a look at the picture titled "Drivers having a ''chat'' with a few drivers who decied to work" HERE


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    #29
    AlekSmart
    Registered Users Posts: 14,005 ✭✭✭✭AlekSmart


    This is completly untrue and unless you can back it up I suggest you retract it. I was on this protest this most certainly did not happen.

    No need Taxipete29,as it happened in front of me on the Southbound side of O Connell Bridge.
    A dark grey MPV actually pulled in to pick up a fare directly in full view of the March as it headed Northward.
    Not alone that but this Gent had to actually pull in with his Cab at an angle facing Eden Quay,thereby holding up the traffic behind him.

    I sounded the horn in an attempt to interest the motorcycle Gardai at the side of the march but their attention was focused on progressing across the bridge.

    I certainly thought it was a prococative gesture on the part of this particular Driver as you would have needed to be asleep not to see the March or to have some idea of its aims.
    The stewards kept the march moving which limited the responses to the verbal kind so there was No physcial unpleasantness but the gent concerned was left in no doubt as to the depth of feeling behind the protest.

    However it does illustrate that for any major action to be effective it must have widespread support from the majority of the sector.
    dubhthach, I found it quite interesting that they only wanted to play Irish music (and fairly lame irish music at that) over their microphone.

    This statement of itself appears to imply some form of "Intent" on the Taxidrivers part.
    I`m at a loss to suggest what Music they SHOULD play given that we are in Dublin,Ireland.....when in Rome etc etc ???

    I`m not a Taxidriver but I see great merit in their protest at being expected to partake in a brand spanking new PR based "Regulation" system which has failed to deliver anthing except UN regulated Volume of supply.


    Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

    Charles Mackay (1812-1889)



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    #30
    delop
    Registered Users Posts: 490 ✭✭delop


    Of course I understand groups of ppl trying to protect their jobs, but as far as I see it, in the countries Ive visited,Taxi Driving is a low skilled job that is mainly left to immigrants, It seems that locals think they cant make a living out of it, and immigrants seem happy enough, In fact I was talking to a Nigerian Taxi driver a few weeks ago, and he said there was plenty of money in it if your willing to put in the hours, and he was....

    So I guess local drivers should look at their own position and if they cant make a living out of it then change jobs, you could argue that in any industry workers might benefit from a national protected head count, but Id doubt it...

    BTW the 8% increase was mad, I just cant afford a Taxi these days...

    Also I'm sure the minister is under pressure to do something about the fare price in theses deflationary times ...


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    #31
    paulm17781
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,858 ✭✭✭paulm17781


    sharkman wrote: »
    have a look at the picture titled "Drivers having a ''chat'' with a few drivers who decied to work" HERE

    I also noticed the sign one driver has which reads "Why has Dublin got more taxis than NY." These protests are about introducing standards my ****!


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