Taxi-drivers staged a low-key protest in Dublin yesterday to highlight what they say is the hardship caused by deregulation of the industry two years ago.
Fewer than 250 took part in the protest drive from Phoenix Park to O'Connell Bridge in the city centre.
Up to 1,000 drivers had been expected to participate, but organisers said the protest was scaled down following the death yesterday of the father of Mr Vinnie Kearns, the vice-president of the National Taxi Drivers' Union.
A large number of gardaí were deployed along the north quays in Dublin and ensured that the protest caused minimal disruption to traffic.
Mr Jerry Brennan of SIPTU's Dublin taxi branch said public disruption had not been intended at any stage.
"It was not about that. It was about putting our point of view forward in a well-organised fashion, and we did that very successfully," he said.
Mr Brennan said he was encouraged by the outcome of a meeting he and other taxi union leaders had had with the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, yesterday morning before the protest.
The Minister outlined his plans to have a taxi industry regulator in place by early in the new year.
He is also to establish a council, with consumer and industry representatives, including the taxi unions, which will advise the regulator and the Minister about issues affecting the industry.
Mr Jerry Brennan said the Minister was interested in the taxi-drivers' concerns and he believed he was "somebody we can do business with".
It is unlikely, however, that the Minister will meet the unions' demand for a suspension of the issuing of taxi licences while the office of regulator is being established.
A spokesman for the Minister said he was legally bound by the terms of the High Court decision of two years ago which resulted in the cap on taxi licence numbers being lifted.
Mr Jerry Brennan said there was advice from the Attorney General's office that the numbers could be limited in order to uphold social order.
While he did not accept a claim made by Mr Kearns, that one in five people granted licences since deregulation had a criminal record, some criminals had been given licences, and this was a social order problem.
Another issue raised with the Minister yesterday was the number of people with full-time jobs who were driving taxis during their time off.
Mr William Morris, a member of the National Taxi Drivers' Union executive, said this was the issue causing most anger among members.
A spokesman for the Minister said he had promised to have the regulator in place as soon as possible, and by early February at the latest.
The office would initially be established on a non-statutory basis, and it was hoped to have the necessary legislation passed before the Dáil summer recess.
Mr Morris said the taxi unions had held extensive discussions with the Garda in advance of yesterday's protest.
As a result, the drive from Phoenix Park to O'Connell Bridge had taken just 12 minutes.
About 40 taxis at the head of the convoy continued under Garda escort to Leinster House, where a letter of protest was handed in to the Minister.
