Thousands of taxi drivers are to hold a work stoppage next Tuesday - the second in just over two weeks - in protest over the refusal of taxi regulator Ger Deering to row back on planned changes to the industry, writes Olivia Kelly
Mr Deering met representatives of the National Taxi Drivers' Union (NTDU) yesterday in an attempt to avert the action, but said he could not stop the introduction of the new fare structure and other industry changes due to come into force in September.
Up to 14,000 of the State's 17,000 taxi drivers are expected to go off the road for 24 hours from 5am next Tuesday.
However, Mr Deering told The Irish Times yesterday he believes that a large number of drivers want to work but they are being "intimidated" into supporting the stoppage. "I would be most anxious that drivers who want to work would be allowed to work, but we did have reports of intimidation from many drivers last week," he said.
During the stoppage last Monday drivers who worked were subjected to verbal abuse from those picketing ranks and several drivers reported that picketers wrote down their taxi plate number, Mr Deering said.
"I would like to know the reason drivers' numbers were taken," he said.
NTDU president Tommy Gorman said he was "disgusted" by his meeting with Mr Deering and denied all accusations of intimidation by union members.
"Nobody has come to me saying they were intimidated. There were rumours that taxi signs were interfered with and aerials were broken but we offered to pay for any damage done and no one has come forward. I certainly wouldn't be party to any intimidation."
The protests have been organised by the three main taxi drivers' unions - the NTDU, Siptu and Taxi Drivers' Federation - which claim that the industry changes being introduced on September 25th will have a devastating impact on drivers.
The unions' complaints centre around the new fare structure, which will see the abolition of luggage charges and a €1.50 hiring charge for picking up passengers from Dublin airport, and a single national fare which will result in drivers in certain areas having to charge lower rates.
They also object to the new licence plate numbering system, which unions say will make it easier for drivers to illegally operate outside their boundaries.
Mr Deering refused to move on any of these issues, Mr Gorman said. "I came out of that meeting totally disgusted. As far as I'm concerned we won't be speaking to Mr Deering again, because there is no point in talking to him."
Drivers would escalate their action if no changes to the new regulations were forthcoming following next week's stoppage, he said.