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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 5:13 pm 
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FATAL: Two deaths within a week highlight strain facing drivers

THE heartbroken widow of a taxi driver who took his own life as a result of the recession has begged for more help for drivers facing financial strain.

The taxi industry has been rocked by two suicides within a week among city drivers who were unable to cope with the pressures of the recession. The tragic deaths of the two men, both understood to be in their forties, has sparked another outcry about the drastic situation facing taxi drivers who are under financial strain. Burned Kevin Jones-Evans (49), originally from Clonshaugh, Dublin took his life on Monday July 5, and another man burned himself in his car in Smithfield on the night of Wednesday July 7.

Kevin has been described as a “good” man who was well-liked in the industry, but he could no longer cope with his shockingly low income. Denise, Kevin’s distraught wife said he “hated” going to work, and she blamed financial worries on her husband’s death. “My husband was tormented by the way it [the industry] was gone.

The Government has an awful lot to answer for with the strain they put the men under. They have them tormented.”

“He [Kevin] hated work. He hated having to get into the car. We’re devastated and I don’t know what else to say.”

Denise’s sister Elaine told the Herald that Kevin was plagued by the fact that he struggled to make enough money for his family to survive.

“He was under extreme pressure. He couldn’t make a living on the taxi. Denise and Kevin were constantly chasing their tails trying to make a living.”

“His kids were his life, he was so proud of them but there was the financial strain of the tuition fees, they didn’t get the grant. There should be more done for people.”

Denise, who was married to Kevin for 21 years, has called for help for others facing a similar situation to Kevin. “We have to continue on, but nobody is dealing with the strain that drivers are under. The Government don’t want to know.

“We desperately hope that Kevin’s death can help prevent any more drivers’ suicides and prevent even one more family going through the suffering we are,” she added.

Another worried taxi driver, Niamh, told FM104′s Adrian Kennedy that a second man died after he set himself alight inside his car in the same week. “This guy set himself on fire in his taxi, if that’s not sending out a mess age I don’t know what is.”

Last August, three taxi men from Dublin who were close friends also took their own lives in the space of one week. Referring to this, she stressed:

“There are three men on the slabs in morgues and three families are devastated. One was hard enough to swallow. These are all men in their 40s. They knew what they wanted and they wanted out. And God love them.”

One of the taxi drivers, Ollie Courtney (43) from Drimnagh, Dublin took his own life on August 28, leaving his family devastated. His widow Sharon told the Herald yesterday:

”It brings it all back. Next month Ollie will be a year dead and I don’t like to hear things like that [more suicides].”

“I understand what those people are going through and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”

Meanwhile, taxi union officials have been blaming deregulation for the scourge on taxi drivers, along with strict fines by the gardai and the Commission for Taxi Regulation.

President of the National Taxi Drivers Union Aidan Moore said: “Am I surprised? No I am not. I have very close friends in the industry who are all feeling the pain at the moment.”

Repossessed John Usher from the Irish Taxi Drivers Federation added that he’s aware of nine suicides amongst taxi men in the last year.

“A lot have had their cars repossessed, their houses repossessed, they’ve left the business and they’ve suffered strokes and heart attacks, and unfortunately some people deal with it differently.”

Jerry Brennan from Siptu added that taxi drivers are “lucky” to earn €50 a day of gross income.

source: http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city-news/

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 5:43 pm 
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I reckon those who want deregulation should read this sad story. :cry: I can relate to it i absolutely hate going out to taxi at the moment. :sad:


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 6:44 pm 
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stationtone wrote:
I reckon those who want deregulation should read this sad story. :cry: I can relate to it i absolutely hate going out to taxi at the moment. :sad:

So what would you do with all the new drivers that got vehicle licenses?

Would you boot them all out?

And what effect would that have on their families and friends?

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 7:06 pm 
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Dublin is an extreme example of what can happen if number restrictions are lifted with no thought to the consequences.
Overnight, anyone could get a badge with ease and plate any kind of vehicle they wanted. No real control was exercised and the whole thing quickly became a free for all.
It was a recipe for disaster.
The Irish government handled the whole policy badly and it is they who should ultimately be held accountable.

The restrictionists in this country often refer to the mess made in Dublin as reason to retain or impose restrictions here.
Any LA following the Irish model would find the same happening in their area and I would be the first to condemn them for it.
No one I know, least of all me, advocates delimiting numbers without proper standards and controls.
Anyone who does, needs their head read.

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 7:44 pm 
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gusmac wrote:
Dublin is an extreme example of what can happen if number restrictions are lifted with no thought to the consequences.
Overnight, anyone could get a badge with ease and plate any kind of vehicle they wanted. No real control was exercised and the whole thing quickly became a free for all.
It was a recipe for disaster.
The Irish government handled the whole policy badly and it is they who should ultimately be held accountable.

The restrictionists in this country often refer to the mess made in Dublin as reason to retain or impose restrictions here.
Any LA following the Irish model would find the same happening in their area and I would be the first to condemn them for it.
No one I know, least of all me, advocates delimiting numbers without proper standards and controls.
Anyone who does, needs their head read.



Buying a WAVs just as good as national delimitation...more so in a few years time as more such vehicles become available second hand....standards or not it opens up the door to almost everyone.


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 7:48 pm 
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You got to admire the b*lls of the apologists. :roll:

CC

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 8:12 pm 
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Jasbar Wrote:
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Market forces.

YOU would discriminate against me. deny me the oipportunity of unfettered access to the tools of my trade because you feckwits couldn't get a simple business decision right.

The advantage of a free market is that it weeds out incompetent pseudo businessmen.

Brilliant I say. I have NO sympathy.

But because they couldn't get ir right on their best day shouldn't deny me.


Lets hope Jasbar doesn't send any messages of condolence.

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 9:07 pm 
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captain cab wrote:
You got to admire the b*lls of the apologists. :roll:

CC


I've always admired the b*lls of the restrictionists who have constantly used Dublin for their own ends.
They know this isn't what we want but hey it's got that fear factor.
It certainly beats honest debate on the subject.

BTW is it only delimited places where cabbies get driven to suicide by financial pressures?

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 9:14 pm 
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gusmac wrote:
captain cab wrote:
You got to admire the b*lls of the apologists. :roll:

CC


I've always admired the b*lls of the restrictionists who have constantly used Dublin for their own ends.
They know this isn't what we want but hey it's got that fear factor.
It certainly beats honest debate on the subject.

BTW is it only delimited places where cabbies get driven to suicide by financial pressures?


The worrying thing is that you actually believe you are right

As a matter of interest, what gem came up with the following statements?

“Passengers wait an average of five minutes in restricted authorities for a taxi at a rank. However, in derestricted authorities the average wait time for a hackney at a rank is 7.24 minutes.”

“When ‘flagging’ a taxi, passengers wait an average of 8.8 minutes in restricted areas as opposed to 9.6 minutes in derestricted authorities”

“Passengers wait an average of 10.6 minutes in restricted authorities and 14.8 minutes in derestricted areas for a taxi when booked by telephone.”

Although admittedly this post is going way off topic.

CC

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 9:14 pm 
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Quote:
BTW is it only delimited places where cabbies get driven to suicide by financial pressures?


Tbh I don't think it matters it shouldn't be happening anywhere. The whole story is quite shocking and I hope I don't have to read about another family losing somebody in this manner, but, I'm afraid I will

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 9:15 pm 
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People on here keep referring to proper controls..... when are they going to get it into their heads that it is just not going to happen....... best practice guidelines keep telling councils that they must not put any undue regulations into place that will stop drivers from getting a licence...... and the best practice guidelines are being formulated after considerable consideration of EU law..... freedom of trade :shock: :roll:

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 9:20 pm 
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toots wrote:
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BTW is it only delimited places where cabbies get driven to suicide by financial pressures?


Tbh I don't think it matters it shouldn't be happening anywhere. The whole story is quite shocking and I hope I don't have to read about another family losing somebody in this manner, but, I'm afraid I will


Ditto. The recession is hitting everyone and stories like this are bound to be repeated again and again from all over the country. :sad:

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 9:28 pm 
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MR T wrote:
People on here keep referring to proper controls..... when are they going to get it into their heads that it is just not going to happen....... best practice guidelines keep telling councils that they must not put any undue regulations into place that will stop drivers from getting a licence...... and the best practice guidelines are being formulated after considerable consideration of EU law..... freedom of trade :shock: :roll:


The strange thing about the 'freedom of trade' within EU law was originally put in place to enable free trade between the nations of the EU, but, now it's invading the actual nations laws themselves. Quite the Pandoras box is the EU :wink:

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 9:33 pm 
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toots wrote:
MR T wrote:
People on here keep referring to proper controls..... when are they going to get it into their heads that it is just not going to happen....... best practice guidelines keep telling councils that they must not put any undue regulations into place that will stop drivers from getting a licence...... and the best practice guidelines are being formulated after considerable consideration of EU law..... freedom of trade :shock: :roll:


The strange thing about the 'freedom of trade' within EU law was originally put in place to enable free trade between the nations of the EU, but, now it's invading the actual nations laws themselves. Quite the Pandoras box is the EU :wink:
And quite a profitable one for certain members of the last government and all their legal sidekicks....... and Ireland got the first taste of the Cherry when they were
derestricted and lost their major battle...... mind you they have still been paying their government £10,000 for a new licence.... now you would think that was a restraint.

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 9:34 pm 
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captain cab wrote:
As a matter of interest, what gem came up with the following statements?

“Passengers wait an average of five minutes in restricted authorities for a taxi at a rank. However, in derestricted authorities the average wait time for a hackney at a rank is 7.24 minutes.”

“When ‘flagging’ a taxi, passengers wait an average of 8.8 minutes in restricted areas as opposed to 9.6 minutes in derestricted authorities”

“Passengers wait an average of 10.6 minutes in restricted authorities and 14.8 minutes in derestricted areas for a taxi when booked by telephone.”

No idea, and even less idea what it has to do with these tragedies.

MR T wrote:
People on here keep referring to proper controls..... when are they going to get it into their heads that it is just not going to happen....... best practice guidelines keep telling councils that they must not put any undue regulations into place that will stop drivers from getting a licence...... and the best practice guidelines are being formulated after considerable consideration of EU law..... freedom of trade :shock: :roll:


But undue regulations preventing them getting a vehicle licence are ok under EU law?

gusmac wrote:
I've always admired the b*lls of the restrictionists who have constantly used Dublin for their own ends.

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