Taxi drivers end Dublin protest

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The dispute by members of the Irish Taxi Council has ended following talks with officials from the Department of Transport.The meeting was described as 'positive', and another will take place before 15 October.Irish Taxi Council president Frank Byrne told drivers those talks will cover measures such as ensuring that drivers who already have a full-time job declare this when applying for a licence.

He said he hoped regulations would also be introduced to ensure licensed drivers only operate within their designated areas.He apologised to the travelling public for the inconvenience caused by the protest. Today's protest was not recognised by any of the main taxi unions, but the National Taxi Drivers Union said the industry had reached saturation point.100 drivers had been demonstrating on Dublin's O'Connell Street since yesterday morning over deteriorating working conditions in the industry.

They had originally said they would continue to protest until they were granted a meeting with Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey. Earlier, a spokesperson for the Department of Transport said the Taxi Regulator is compiling a report with recommendations on the next steps for the industry. The move follows a recent public consultation.