Who will take action on NCT-taxi corruption?
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
REARVIEW: If taxi drivers want to regain the respect of their customers they need to root out the bad eggs themselves
It used to be an urban myth. Leave a euro note of large denomination in the ashtray of your banger and send it through NCT, safe in the knowledge you’d pass regardless.
On Monday night we saw with our own eyes the reality of corruption by certain individuals responsible for ensuring taxis are safe for transporting members of the public when RTÉ’s Prime Time Investigates showed two defective vehicles receiving a clean bill of health from an NCT (national car test) centre for a “fee” of €100.
The documentary also showed a driver working all night in a taxi and all day driving a Dublin Bus, as well as a mini-bus taxi carrying 13 schoolchildren without a licence. Clearly most drivers are honest and work hard but, if the documentary is to be believed, there is a core bad element that needs to be rooted out.
So, who is responsible? The gardaí bear responsibility for vehicle safety and driver vetting. There is an obvious need to ensure that those convicted of serious offences are not transporting our citizens around the country. Vehicles that are obviously defective yet display current NCT discs must be called into question and examined.
Applus+, the company that runs the National Car Testing Service (NCTS), bears responsibility for the tests and has said it will “vigorously investigate” the allegations of fraud, and we have to take them at their word that this will be done across the NCTS.
The taxi regulator, Kathleen Doyle, bears a great deal of responsibility, but on numerous occasions yesterday morning she pointed out that various issues highlighted by Prime Time were not in her remit. Perhaps the regulator needs more power. The Office certainly needs more inspectors: there are only nine compliance inspectors and these cannot check for road worthiness.
But perhaps the most important group that bears responsibility is taxi drivers themselves and their representatives. Any time a negative aspect of the industry is highlighted, taxi driver unions and organisations are quick to muddy the waters with issues such as the number of part-time drivers, the number of licences and how difficult it is to make a living.
If taxi drivers want to regain the respect of their customers they need to root out the bad eggs themselves and report offenders to the relevant authorities.
Source; http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/mot ... 07999.html
ALSO
Review of taxi industry announced
Updated: 22:02, Tuesday, 17 May 2011
The Government has announced a review into the taxi industry.
Minister for Public and Commuter Transport Alan Kelly said the review will look at all aspects of the industry, including enforcement and licensing.
Minister Kelly said the review should be completed in three to four months and that the Government will take action on foot of its findings.
He said that gardaí will have to play a greater role in policing the taxi industry.
Earlier, the Director of Taxi Regulation said her office will prosecute any taxi drivers who illegally hold multiple taxi licences or are in breach of any other regulations.
Kathleen Doyle said that since 2007, 290 drivers were prosecuted for various offences including over-charging and not displaying a licence.
However, she said the safety of vehicles and the vetting of drivers was a matter for the gardaí.
Ms Doyle was responding to last night's Prime Time Investigates programme, which examined elements of the taxi industry.
The company that operates the National Car Testing Service has also said it has made a complaint to gardaí.
Last night's programme featured footage filmed with hidden cameras showing NCT personnel passing taxis that had previously been found to have serious defects, apparently in return for money.
In a statement this morning, Applus said it would vigorously investigate the matter until all issues raised by the programme, in relation to vehicle inspections, had been fully addressed.
It has also reported the matter to the gardaí.
The NCT is overseen by the Road Safety Authority. Its Chief Executive, Noel Brett, said he had raised his concerns with the gardaí and would be discussing the matter with Applus.
John Ussher of the National Taxi Drivers' Federation said stricter enforcement was needed to ensure rogue operators were detected and prosecuted.
Source; http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0517/taxi.html
ALSO
Eight NCT staff suspended over claims bribes taken to pass cars
Wednesday May 18 2011
Eight National Car Test (NCT) employees have been suspended following allegations that bribes were taken to pass unfit cars, the Irish Independent has learnt.
On Monday, RTE's 'Prime Time Investigates' revealed that two taxis, deemed dangerous and unfit by experts and initially failed in the NCT, were passed after the payment of €100 per car.
It is understood that following the revelations, five testers at one NCT centre and three at another were suspended on full pay pending an investigation.
Applus, the company that runs the NCT, has launched an inquiry into the allegations.
Last night, it confirmed "a number of staff" had been suspended but would not comment further.
Gardai have also been asked to investigate by Noel Brett, chief executive of the Road Safety Authority, which oversees the NCT.
In a statement yesterday, Applus said the NCT represented "a microcosm of Irish society".
It said it was a "disappointing reflection" if any employee could be tempted into committing such serious fraud for personal financial gain.
"These individuals are not only putting their own employment at risk, but are creating real danger by allowing potentially defective vehicles back on our roads," the statement added.
Applus has asked for a copy of the RTE footage, which will be handed over to gardai.
John Usher, of the National Taxi Drivers' Federation, said the programme provided the first real evidence of such illegal activity and he hoped it would begin a process of rectifying such problems.
"We have rules and regulations there, but you can't legislate for what happens at the back door of the NCT," he said.
A number of customers at one NCT centre said they were concerned about the system put in place by the facility.
Clare Levington, from Lucan, said she felt the whole system needed an overhaul.
"There needs to be a closer watch put on them," she said.
"I think that the contract should go out to tender again," another customer said.
The Government said the entire NCT testing system was being reviewed.
Double-jobbing drivers working 23 hours a day, dangerous vehicles, unvetted drivers with criminal records and ways to pass an NCT in an unroadworthy car were uncovered by the 'Prime Time Investigates' team.
The programme also exposed how taxis could be rented for a weekend for as little as €100 by drivers who didn't have the necessary PSV (public service vehicle) licences and garda vetting.
Source; http://www.independent.ie/national-news ... 50029.html
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