Madam, - As a Dublin taxi-driver, may I firstly thank you and The Irish Times for reporting on the current national taxi dispute in a factual and balanced way. I would like to take this opportunity to inform your readers of a few facts regarding the dispute.
1. The recent rise in fuel prices has added a minimum of €50 to weekly operating costs.
2. Ireland is the second most expensive country in Europe yet our taxi fares are at the European average.
3. Taxi fares have increased at a rate below the 30 per cent increases enjoyed by the average industrial wage earner over the past 10 years.
4. Every associated service availed of by taxi drivers has increased its prices and in the case of Legal Metrology (meter-sealing service) by over 250 per cent.
5. The new fare structure proposed by the Taxi Regulator does more to take away than to give - for example, our 50 cent luggage charge is limited to two items. A bit ironic, I think, in the light of Aer Lingus now charging €8 a bag on short-haul flights!
Taxi-drivers have families, mortgages, utility bills and shopping bills too. All we are asking for is some understanding of our position. We have never had a strong representative voice to put our case forward so maybe withdrawal of service is the only means open to us to get our point across. All we want is to be included in the process which has seen Ireland become one of the richest countries in the world and to be treated with a bit of fairness and dignity.
The Taxi Regulator will no doubt argue that the new fare structure represents an overall increase. Well, he would, wouldn't he? I, on the other hand, say it goes nowhere near the increases being enjoyed by all other sections of society. - Yours, etc,
GUS McDONNELL,
Straffan,
Co Kildare.