Taxi drivers bring Portlaoise to standstill

by **Admin** Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:24 am

“IF I HAD known what I know now, I would have stayed a
mechanic”. That was the verdict of Portlaoise taxi driver
Declan Carroll as Laois taxi drivers took to the streets this
week. Mr Carroll, a taxi driver of eight years, and his
colleagues painted a grim picture for taxi drivers in the county,
insisting that the industry has become overcrowded and seeking
a halt to the issuing of new licences.To show their anguish, over
150 local drivers temporarily brought

Portlaoise to standstill as a cavalcade of local taxi drivers travelled
slowly down Main St on Monday morning. Nationwide, the Irish Taxi
Drivers’ Federation, National Private Hire Taxi Association, SIPTU taxi
branch and Taxi Drivers for Change took part in a protest from 4am on
Monday to 4am on Tuesday over conditions in the industry. Mr Carroll
said many taxi drivers were working up to 18-hour days “We are earning
less than minimum wage, .4.50 an hour, you can’t live on that,” he added.
One of the protesting taxi drivers, Portlaoise man Philip Bartley highlighted
the insufficient number of spaces for taxis and taxi driving was a still a
profitable career.

Mr Bartley said: “The regulator has come out and said taxi drivers
have only experienced a 5% cut, when it fact it’s more 35% and 40%.
There are too many taxis. You cannot make a living.” He added: “How can
you regulate an industry and not meet with us. There are not enough
taxi ranks or spaces. We offer a service. If you took away taxis on a
weekend night, the number of public order offences would be far
greater, yet we are treated like this.”

by Gerrythe cop Fri Apr 10, 2009 4:39 pm

whats happening to the taxi protests? why have they stopped?

Taxi drivers bring Portlaoise to standstill

Taxi drivers bring Portlaoise to standstill

speaking of protest