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Gardaí in swoop on illegal taxis
Two-hour blitz brings street to a standstill
ROGUE taxi drivers were targeted in a planned swoop of Drogheda's Peter's Street rank on Saturday night in a joint operation between gardai and two members of the taxi regulators office. A number of fines were handed out due to wrong documentation being provided while at least one driver removed the plate number from the roof of a car and subsequently left the rank, following an inspection.
The raid began at 9.10pm when three garda vehicles raced across West Street with further vehicles descending from Magdalene Street and William Street in an effort to prevent any taxis leaving the confines of the rank.
By that stage 65 vehicles were working, stretching right back to the M&S store on William Street.
In a concentrated move, up to eight gardai began checking vehicles, including tax, insurance and even tyres.
They immediately sealed off Peter's Street, resulting in traffic chaos down Magdalene Street and William Street as taxis and private vehicles were forced to come to a halt.
Indeed, the operation ran right through until 10.45pm, by which stage in the region of 170 cars were checked and details taken.
During the height of the operation, garda reinforcements were called in at approximately 9.30pm such were the numbers involved.
Huge delays were experienced by both motorists and those waiting for taxis.
Legitimate drivers, speaking exclusively to the Drogheda Independent during the raid, were delighted that it was happening.
'We might be delayed with this whole thing but we don't have anything to fear with nights like this.
'We are legal and we are delighted to see the taxi regulator here,' a driver stated.
'If someone was injured or killed in an accident by an uninsured taxi driver how would people feel? It's a terrible thought so fair play to the gardai and the regulator, that's what I say'.
One other problem on the night were slightly late takeaway orders as drivers were unable to park close to their premises on Peter's Street. WHEN a main street in a large provincial town is basically closed for nearly two hours on a Saturday night you can expect complaints, but last Saturday night, there was very much a mix of frustration and satisfaction.
Gardai and the taxi regulator officials pinned in dozens of taxi drivers on Peter's Street as they checked documentation in a crackdown on illegal cabs.
The operation began at 9.10pm and finished at 10.45pm.
One irate passenger arrived down at the front of the rank at 9.30pm having been stuck on William Street.
He was pointed in the direction of the taxi regulator after asking who was in charge?
'I'm up there stuck in traffic and there's € 8 on the meter and I don't know what he's going to charge me. What will I do?,' he asked the employee from the taxi regulator service. He was then informed that the driver should not be charging him when stuck in traffic, especially when it wasn't his fault.
The various fast food outlets were caught by surprise, none more so than the delivery people. Due to the closure of the street, they had to park some distance from base and get out and about by foot.
'It's a bit of a walk but what can you do,' stated a worker in Four Star Pizza, as he departed up the street to his vehicle. In the Grill Kebab and Chilli Hut it was a similiar story as well as the Chinese takeaway, where people were simply stopping and staring at the scene.
As the raid continued, punters waiting for taxis and coming out of places like the Pizzeria, were only too willing to tell their stories where the taxi service was concerned. 'I was in McPhail's a while ago and came out and got a taxi to Termonfeckin. The person wanted € 28 for the journey. I couldn't believe it and they said they'd call the gardai and I said go ahead. It was robbery. Then they said € 12 would do and I asked how did that come down from € 28? and finally they settled for € 5 when I told them to bring me back to McPhail's and I'd take a different taxi!'
At times the experienced gardai on duty showed great restraint as some of those leaving local pubs, and clearly the worse for wear, decided to get involved by joining the gardai in checking cars! - until advised to walk on.
It may have been ironic, but one sign said much about the ongoing situation. On a door beside EJ Sampson's shop was a sign, advertising a taxi plate for rent at € 80 per week.
'There was something like this about a month ago but they just stopped people in the street and a lot of drivers got away without being checked. This is a lot more organised,' one driver declared as he waited to be validated.
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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin
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