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PostPosted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:10 pm 
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Taxi Council gives notice of all-out national protest

Thursday, March 11, 2010

The Irish Taxi Council (ITC) has given Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey seven days notice for an all-out national protest which it says will last indefinitely.

The decision was taken following a two-hour meeting of almost 700 taxi drivers at the National Show Centre in Swords, north Dublin yesterday.

The ITC, which says it is made up of 27 separate associations, is now to decide whether to commence the protest on St Patrick’s Day or on Thursday, March 18th.

Council president Frank Byrne said his members would protest for as long as it took to achieve their demands, including new legislation which would put a three-year moratorium on the issuing of taxi licences.

The ITC which was established last July, is also calling for additional taxi ranks in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway as well as Waterford and wants insurance certificates to be checked in real time in order to expose fraudulent certificates.

The council is also calling for a new system to be put in place that legally obliges applicants to undergo tests equal to or exceeding the standard required to obtain an Irish driving licence.

Other demands include proficiency in the Irish and/or English language, a relinquishing of taxi plates via the office of the regulator and a ban on renting and leasing plates where the replacement of a car does not take place.

The ITC says it has in excess of 15,000 members across the State, all of which are full-time drivers. The council said it would now engage with other taxi unions about its protest.

Mr Byrne said the nature of the protest would be aimed primarily at Mr Dempsey. “We’re not interested in dealing with the regulator. If the Minister is not interested in dealing with us, then the Taoiseach should intervene.

“If the Taoiseach doesn’t intervene, then we’ve got a problem.”

Earlier this week taxi drivers in Cork, Waterford, Kerry, Limerick, Waterford, Sligo and Donegal also withdrew services in support of a sit-in by two members of the ITC at the office of the Commission of Taxi Regulation in Dublin.

The regulator brought proceedings against the ITC over the sit-in and secured an injunction on Tuesday against those involved.

When the case was returned before Ms Justice Mary Laffoy yesterday, Mr Byrne gave an undertaking they would not engage in any further trespass at, or picket the commission’s offices at Dublin’s Fitzwilliam Square.

He said the ITC intended to resist allegations made in the case but wanted to get legal advice.

He asked for legal aid for the ITC, a voluntary body, but was told by the judge this was not a matter for the High Court.

Mr Byrne then asked for four weeks to consult a solicitor because the proceedings had “come rather fast so we need time to consider”. The judge ordered he provide replying affidavits by April 1st, and adjourned the matter to April 14th.

Earlier, two members of the ITC, Patrick Walsh and Thomas Barton, who staged a sit-in at the regulator’s offices, undertook not to return to the building which they left on Tuesday evening.

Source; http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ire ... 44375.html

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:14 pm 
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Now this could be getting interesting.

I wonder how many drivers will support the strike if it's called?

They might just show us how to do it!! Then they might not!!

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:18 pm 
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I agree,i will be keeping an eye on the situation.


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:23 pm 
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It seems to be spreading now!

IOL NEWS HEADLINES

10/03/2010 - 16:14:59

A group of striking taxi drivers in Cork threatened to cause traffic gridlock today with a go-slow protest through the city.

Around 50 taxis crawled through the city centre, honking horns in protest at what they claim is the over-regulation of the industry.

Taxi ranks at Cork Airport and Kent Railway Station as well as in Cork city centre remained closed again as the protest by full-time taxi drivers continued.

The taxi stoppage was to last until after the Irish Taxi Council’s meeting at noon today, when the situation was due to be reviewed.

Spokesman for the Cork taxi drivers, Tom O’Connell called on all drivers to join the strike.

“There are always some who won’t participate, but this is for the benefit of all drivers and I would encourage everyone to join in.

“The industry has been driven into the ground by over-regulation and we need to make a stand on this. We would be better on the dole than driving around all weekend for very little money,” said Mr O’Connell.

Taxi drivers are calling on the regulator to reduce the number of licences that are issued

Source; http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/ireland ... 49480.html

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 4:41 pm 
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRSQ6dpBvLY


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 5:25 pm 
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A three-hour protest by taxi drivers is under way at several locations around the country.

Drivers have withdrawn services at some airports, bus and train stations.

In Dublin city centre, dozens of taxis are taking part in a go-slow protest.

AdvertisementThe drivers, members of the Irish Taxi Council, are also not taking passengers at the rank on O'Connell Street.

Drivers are calling for the full implementation of 11 recommendations contained in a report by the Oireachtas Committee for Transport last year.

Frank Byrne, a spokesman for the ITC, says the Council wants Transport Minister Noel Dempsey to introduce new legislation to put a three-year moratorium on the issuing of taxi licences.

It also wants extra rank spaces to be provided in the country's main cities, the practice of renting or leasing licences discontinued and wants insurance certificates to be checked in 'real time' to reduce the number of fraudulent ones.

The ITC says it has around 14,000 members across the country.

It gave notice of this protest last week and it is planning an all-out stoppage on Monday.

The protest in Dublin began at Parnell Square was to travel through O'Connell Street, D'Olier Street, College Green, Nassau Street, Kildare Street, Molesworth Street, Dawson Street, Suffolk Street, Dame Street, Westmoreland Street and back to O'Connell Street.

Traffic disruption was expected in Cork between 2pm and 3pm when the drivers planned to drive from Cork Airport through the city centre.

Taxi services at Cork Airport, Kent Railway Station and in the city centre were also expected to be affected.

A spokesman for the Department of Transport said 'this disruptive action is not the way forward'. He said progress on this can only be achieved through consultation and discussion.


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 5:54 pm 
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Quote:
A spokesman for the Department of Transport said 'this disruptive action is not the way forward'. He said progress on this can only be achieved through consultation and discussion.


Exactly what our lot say's....... They know we are divided up and down the land, so we get what they want....... :roll: :x

We get exactly what we ask for..... Strife, disfatisfaction, frustration, apathy, division and contention.... :-| :roll:


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:43 am 
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They are certainly keeping it going, Good for them


TAXI SERVICES around the country are likely to be curtailed on Monday when supporters of the Irish Taxi Council (ITC) withdraw services for 24 hours.

Separately, Siptu will today announce a resumption of a campaign on behalf of its taxi-driver members to include “strategically placed protest at various locations, transport hubs/taxi drivers’ places of work and effective limited withdrawals of service at strategic times”.

Small numbers of ITC drivers took part in a three-hour protest in Dublin and other cities yesterday which had only a minor impact on traffic. Fewer than 40 drivers staged a go-slow through Dublin during the protest and blocked a number of city centre ranks.

Services were withdrawn from Dublin and Cork airports, and train and bus stations.

The ITC said supporters also stopped work in Cork, Limerick, Carlow, Naas, Athlone, Mullingar, Westport and Ballina.

The ITC originally planned a major withdrawal of services yesterday but postponed its action until Monday because most politicians are out of the country for the St Patrick’s Day festivities.

Yesterday’s three-hour protest was billed as a “goodwill gesture” to forewarn politicians about the level of anger among taxi drivers.

One driver participating in the protest told The Irish Times that the intention was to block Luas lines and the Dublin Port tunnel during Monday’s protest. Successive cars would “break down” on the lines and in the tunnel, effectively forcing their closure.

However, ITC president Frank Byrne insisted next week’s stoppage would be peaceful and would not disrupt traffic. “If anyone wants to block roads, they’ll be doing it on their own.”

The ITC is a relatively new organisation which claims to represent the views of almost 15,000 taxi drivers. It is not subscription-based, and as such does not have members. It claims to be an umbrella group for 27 local associations.

The National Taxi-Drivers Union (NTDU) discouraged members from participating in yesterday’s action.

“We are in continuing dialogue with the taxi regulator through dialogue to achieve a satisfactory outcome for all,” read a text sent to members expressing opposition to the stoppage.

Meanwhile, Siptu is planning to resume a campaign for the establishment of an appeals process to decisions made by the taxi regulator and a ban on “double-jobbing” by part-time drivers.

The ITC is demanding new legislation that would put a three-year moratorium on the issuing of taxi licences. It also wants checks on insurance certificates in real time to expose fraudulent copies, and more stringent tests for licence applicants.

Other demands include proficiency in the Irish and/or English language.


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