The bully-boy tactics employed by Dublin taxi drivers seven years ago, when they attempted to prevent the deregulation of the industry, are again being used to oppose change and to disrupt the lives of commuters.
The streets of the city became impassable to traffic for much of last Monday because of protesting drivers acting in an illegal fashion. And more disruption has been threatened because of a variety of reforms that are due to be introduced on September 25th by commissioner for taxi Regulation Ger Deering.
Mr Deering was appointed by the Government to promote an effective, efficient and customer-friendly taxi and hackney service and, so far, he has been doing a good job for consumers. He has consulted widely with all of the interests concerned. He has declined to back down under pressure from angry drivers. The introduction of a uniform charge for taxi travel throughout the State is the most fundamental reform envisaged, because of the huge variations in journey costs that currently exist. Pick-up and luggage charges will be banned, but provision has been made for extra passenger fees. Some taxi drivers will lose from these changes, but others will benefit. All, however, will be required to issue receipts to customers for each journey made or be guilty of an offence.
In the past, a percentage of taxi drivers operated in the grey economy. And perhaps they still do. If that is the case, then a requirement to issue receipts providing personal details along with travel charges, would be an unwelcome development for them. Such a system does, however, provide the basis for effective consumer protection. Officials from the three trade unions representing drivers have not, quite properly, made an issue of this matter. But they are not in control of their members, as has been evident on the streets of Dublin in recent years.
The taxi business may have been deregulated, under pressure from the courts. And the number of cabs available to the public may have tripled since 1999. But the behaviour of a hard core of drivers remains both unchanged and unacceptable. In that context, the actions of Minister for Transport Martin Cullen in offering protesting workers a meeting with his officials threatened to undermine the position of the commissioner. What is the point in this Government giving regulatory and administrative powers to independent agencies when, at the first sign of serious trouble, ministers revert to type and attempt to appease vested interests? Mr Cullen should allow Mr Deering to regulate the taxi industry. Former minister Bobby Molloy did not waver in this task and the consumer has a better service today.