Sir, - Those who paid dearly to buy their way into the taxi business, believing a licence represented some kind a secure capital asset, were mistaken. Those who assumed a regime of industry regulation would persist for the lifetime of their investment took a gamble. And those taxi drivers who expect compassion and support from the public after their actions over the past week merely demonstrate how irrelevant are customers' needs and perceptions to the taxi drivers' decision-making process.
There can be no question that the blockade was aimed at inflicting massive public disruption. At the airport, my wife, who is eight months pregnant, had to transport both herself and her luggage a considerable distance as a consequence of the taxi drivers' illegal action. The fact that this exercise was largely directed at their primary business channel - the general public - only makes their action more despicable. While Wendy O'Brien (December 5th) presented a compelling argument for compassion for taxi drivers and their families, what can she expect after the taxi drivers' treatment of the public last week? What did their customers do to deserve such treatment?
Taxi drivers have the right to protest. They have the right to withdraw their services for as long they wish. However, they have no right to use physical obstruction and intimidation to prevent other law-abiding people going about their business. I hope gardai do not hesitate to take whatever measures are necessary to foil any attempts to repeat last week's events. - Yours, etc.,
Loman Brophy, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.