Taxi Driver Online
http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/

Caused by derestriction?
http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1861		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  TDO [ Fri Apr 22, 2005 5:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Caused by derestriction?
Remember those who were using criminaility in the Dublin trade to say it was caused by 'deregulation'?

Of course, the truth was a lot more straightforward:

WE'LL DRIVE OUT THE TAXI BEASTS;
CABBIE LEADERS BACK GARDA MOVE TO REGISTER ALL DRIVERS

TENS of thousands of taxi and hackney drivers will get criminal checks to weed out any murderers, paedophiles or rapists driving cabs.

Gardai are putting the names, addresses and badge numbers of every cabbie in the country into Pulse to check if they have any criminal convictions.

Drivers with a record for sex crimes, murder, manslaughter, assault, money-laundering or drug trafficking offences will have their licences revoked or face a period of disqualification.

In Dublin alone the details of nearly 23,000 public service vehicle (PSV) licence holders - 12,000 of whom drive taxis - will have their details checked on the Garda database. Last night taxi unions welcomed the move, claiming it will provide increased safety for passengers.

Vinnie Kearns of the National Taxi Drivers Union said: "We are totally in favour of criminal checks.

"Only those of the highest calibre should have the right to drive a taxi.

"Everybody is of the belief that every taxi driver is strictly scutinised when he or she applies for a licence. However this is not always true. We've had the C case man, convicted of raping a young girl.

"He was given a licence and went on to assault a female passenger.

"We've also had a taxi driver who raped three women in Rathmines in Dublin a few years ago.

"He was given a licence, even though he had spent time in a psychiatric unit.

"Known criminals have also driven taxis. We are aware of several other criminals who were turned down for licences, only to appeal in the courts and win."

Mr Kearns added: "Someone with a conviction for paedophilia, sex offences and other crimes should be banned. At the end of the day it is a business built on trust."

The massive Garda investigation is in preparation for new legislation - Section 36 of the Taxi Regulation Act 2003 - which will be brought in by the Transport Minister Martin Cullen at the end of June.

Since the taxi trade was deregulated in November 2000, the number of taxi plates in Dublin alone has more than tripled.

Mr Kearns said: "We now have more than four times the European average of taxis per head of population.

"Criminals, for some reason or another, are slipping through the net."
Author:  Sussex [ Fri Apr 22, 2005 5:35 pm ]
Post subject: 
What you mean the scare-mongers of the T&G got it wrong? :shock:

But then again, when did that shower ever get anything right? :-k
Author:  TDO [ Fri Apr 22, 2005 6:22 pm ]
Post subject: 
Oh yes, it was the MSP in Scotland who said:

Furthermore, some of the new intake are not the sort of you want. In Dublin it led to a marked increase in rapes and sexual assaults. In Edinburgh at present these problems are thankfully rare

No wonder the new intake were 'not the sort you want' if they didn't bother vetting them.

Of course, the OFT endorsed vetting and quality control generally, and indeed said that it might be enhanced in some regards.

But it wouldn't do to let the truth get in the way of a lot of bull.
Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/