hubcap's Blog
Posts: 32
Member of: Irish Taxi Forum, Taxi Eire.
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What You Just Paid For
October 14, 2009 by hubcap
What You Just Paid For,
Just to let you all know if you are a taxi driver you have just paid for a top earner in the regulators office to attend a seminar.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW WHAT SEMINAR YOU JUST PAID FOR ????? ARE YOU READY FOR IT?? ARE YOU SURE? OK
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Managing challenging behaviours
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Sorry guys if that was a joke it might be funny but given we are all about to get fuked out of our homes i don't find this one bit funny.
The cost of the seminar = Price: €295
Re: The Day Taxi Drivers Said No More (photos)
October 13, 2009 by hubcap
Have to hand it to Joe he was the only one that gave us support... he looked fuked... sure the guy needed sleep but he hung in and talked with all who wanted to talk to him... he gave a good speech just to keep us going.
All shit aside this guy could just as easy have walked on by like others did.... like Senator David Norris..... him all posh nosh and and full of shit!
Big thanks to Joe!
Re: Taxi Pictures from Ireland please add yours or send to irishtaxiindustry@gmail.com
October 11, 2009 by hubcap
The Day Taxi Drivers Said No More (photos)
October 11, 2009 by hubcap
Dublins O'Connell Street Taxi Drivers Say No More Pain!
Re: Scabs in the Taxi industry
October 9, 2009 by hubcap
Hi daithii4u,
Your forum is one of the true taxi driver forums mate,
I get to vent my anger here without fear of a ban because like me you can accept the truth and unlike those who live in a dream world .
TAXI DRIVER FOR CHANGE is no more they have stepped aside for the new ITC.
When you see some of these so called unions offering free membership it proves its a numbers game.
The new standards will more or less close the door for new taxi licences but will not make your life or mine anymore easy unless there is a buy back of some plate licences.
I hope you are keeping good mate and thanks again for allowing me to speak free.
Keep up the fight for justice!
Re: Scabs in the Taxi industry
October 9, 2009 by hubcap
Because the truth hurts i am banned from his blog and forum.. so much for freedom of speech.
You are right he hates to be caught out and his answer is to delete my posts.
From my quote from his forum you can see he says he just helps run the forum but he infact owns it.
We did have a free forum but he locked it and made everybody move to his website by putting in a redirect.... just another con job so he can make money from the backs of drivers by selling ad space to people who will do your tax returns.
The guy is a dirt bag and only wants one thing TO BE FAMOUS yeh right!
Have to say the new NTDU boss is worse than Tommy Gorman.... Tommy did fuke all... but this new guy is making drivers hate them even more than they did already.
SIPTU has 300 drivers as members and is dying by the day.....even SIPTU dont want the taxi branch anymore...
There is a power struggle going on in the background in this industry and we the drivers are feeling the pain because of that..... shame on them all.
Re: Scabs in the Taxi industry
October 8, 2009 by hubcap
Roy has a taxi forum where he posts on behalf of the ITC and others.
On the one hand he grabs the glory for the taxi protests and on the other condems those of us who stood side by side on Dublins o connell street.
I accept we were not the voice of all drivers and i went as a taxi driver not as a supporter of the ITC.
I made the protest because we are suffering injustices from the government and the taxi regulator.
I want justice for all taxi drivers and support all protests but most of all i want justice for my family and myself... a wrong was done and want it put right even if that means i go to prison.
Re: Scabs in the Taxi industry
October 7, 2009 by hubcap
Roy from http://irishtaxi.org/ is claiming success for the protest.
He went to kildare street then went home... he says he went home .. did he?... yeh right!
I quote Roy
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ROY:
I stayed at home after the official protest broke up
(believe it or not I am not an "official representative" I just help run a Forum)
I would not work while a protest is ongoing, but I decided not to join in the blockade of O'Connell Street and the bullying of those drivers who (like yourself) may not have been aware of the protest....... because quite simply I did not and still do not agree with the methods used, am I not entitled to that opinion?
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If you read that quote you will see he prejudged us and not only that he called us bullies.
Unless roy has a crystal ball how the fuke would he know what was going to happen on the protest?
The fact is he was never going to support us and if anybody here was on the protest they will know what Frank Byrne said about our friends.
I only hope frank remembers his own words and picks his own friends a little better.
I remind you again.
Quote roy]
Taxidrivers for change are gone
October 7, 2009 by hubcap
I guess they feel they done their part.
http://www.taxidriversforchange.com/
Some photos of the protest and it was one of the best protests i was even on!
http://s1.zetaboards.com/C_Irish_Taxi_Drivers/topic/2348401/1/
Welcome to the official SPSV Test
May 7, 2009 by hubcap
Reply re the €250 licence fee and the regulators new website
Can you confirm that the licence fees have gone up and the reasons why they have gone up so much?.
Can you explain why we had no notice from your office of this increase at a time when taxi drivers are finding it hard to make a days pay?.
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Thank you for your contact with the Commission.
The increase in the driver licence fee covers the existing and future costs of processing driver licence applications and renewals. There has been no increase in this fee since 1977. It is important to note that licensing fees are related to the cost of regulation and all that it entails, including enforcement of regulations and vetting of all candidates. It also includes the cost of processing applications, ID cards and certificates.
The current licence fee was set in 1977 and no longer reflects the real cost of providing this service. As a result the Exchequer has been significantly subsidising the service. The licence is valid for five years making the annual cost €50 or less than €1 per week. This is in line with or below comparative figures in the UK for example. Further information is available on our website at www.taxiregulator.ie or at www.spsvtest.ie
The Commission sets fees under Section 50 of the Taxi Regulation Act and there is no requirement for advance consultation or notification regarding licence fees.
Kind regards
New Taxi Website
May 7, 2009 by hubcap
Just posting on this so if you are around lads drop in and say hello.
Re: SOLD THE PLATE FOLKS
March 19, 2009 by hubcap
Silverbulet you might have ur quote wrong the criminals and freeloaders came into the business after dereg ;)
Protesting taxi driver group aims to choke city traffic
March 19, 2009 by hubcap
[b]
Protesting taxi driver group aims to choke city traffic
BY OLIVIA KELLY
PROTEST GROUP Taxi Drivers for Change is planning to disrupt Dublin city traffic for up to six hours tomorrow in its latest demonstration against the number of taxis in the capital.
The group claims that up to 3,000 drivers will travel in two separate convoys from the Liffey Valley shopping centre in Clondalkin and the Airside retail park in Swords to the Commission for Taxi Regulation on Fitzwilliam Square, where a meeting of the commission’s advisory council will be taking place.
The convoy is due to start at 8am and finish outside the regulator’s office at 2pm, which could bring traffic from the north and west of the city to a standstill throughout the morning rush hour. The group is asking drivers not taking part in the protest to stop working from 8am to 2pm in a gesture of solidarity.
This will be the group’s seventh protest in recent weeks and is expected to cause the most disruption, according to Jim Waldron, one of the group’s founders. Drivers’ anger had increased following an economic review of the industry carried out by Goodbody Economic Consultants on behalf of the Taxi Regulator. It recommended there should be no moratorium on the issuing of licences, Mr Waldron said.
Taxi driver unions last week met with Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey to discuss the report, but Taxi Drivers for Change, which is not a union, was not invited. The group is also without representation on the advisory council to the regulator. The Irish Taxi Drivers’ Federation, trade union Siptu, the National Private Hire and Taxi Association, the National Chauffeur Driver Association, the National Taxi Drivers’ Union and the Taxi Company Owners’ Association are members of the council which will meet tomorrow.
In a statement yesterday, the commission urged the protesting drivers not to prevent others from working and not to disrupt traffic.
“The commission recognises the right of members of the industry to express their views. It cannot, however, condone any action which causes inconvenience to potential customers or other road-users. It would also expect those taking action to respect the right of drivers who wish to continue to work.”
The Garda is not expecting 3,000 drivers to take part in the protest and estimate the figure is likely to be about 1,000.
[/b]
Group says plan to make all city taxis wheelchair-accessible will not be met
March 18, 2009 by hubcap
Group says plan to make all city taxis wheelchair-accessible will not be met.
TIM O'BRIEN
A PROMISE in the programme for government that all city-based taxis would be wheelchair-accessible by 2010 will not be met, and the best that people with disabilities may hope for is a target of 20 per cent nationally.
That is the opinion of the Accessible Taxi Consortium, a coalition of support groups for people with disabilities, which said the percentage of wheelchair-accessible taxis fell from about 20 per cent a decade ago to about 5 per cent now.
In a submission to the Oireachtas Committee on Transport, members of the consortium called for urgent changes to rules governing accessible taxis, including tax reliefs to encourage drivers to opt for wheelchair-accessible vehicles
The committee heard the costs of setting up an accessible taxi were so prohibitive that there was a danger there would be a dearth of such taxis within a few years, particularly in rural areas, instead of targets being met.
Michael Doyle of the Irish Wheelchair Association called for tax relief up to a maximum of €15,875 for operators purchasing wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
He said public contracts such as health service contracts for patient transport should only be awarded to accessible taxi owners – and he asked that the reduced licence fee, €125 as opposed to €6,300, be retained for accessible vehicles. Tony Maher of the consortium told the committee that take-up of wheelchair-accessible licences was so low that in some rural areas, they were virtually non-existent. He said in Tipperary there were just four such taxis, while in Cavan and Monaghan there were about 10 to 12. They could find none in Clare.
Fine Gael TD Frank Feighan, who supports the group, called for a meeting with the Minister for Finance before the budget.
Fall in demand for taxis 'no basis for capping' -- Doyle
March 14, 2009 by hubcap
By Laura Noonan
Saturday March 14 2009
The report has been severely criticised by campaign group Taxi Drivers for Change, who have staged six separate demonstrations calling for a cap on taxi licence numbers to prevent a collapse in drivers' earnings.
Publishing the Goodbody report earlier this week, Ms Doyle pointed to a "large increase in demand for cabs" as one of the feature's that underlined the taxi industry's robustness.
In an interview with the Irish Independent, she yesterday acknowledged that growth "may change" in the "economic downturn". "Growth may not hold up to the same extent, but I would certainly be hopeful that it would hold up to a very good level," she added.
The report found that while drivers were now working longer hours for less money there was no collapse in earnings.
Collapse
Ms Doyle said that while she "appreciated" that things have "gotten tougher for everyone" since the start of 2009, she "didn't have any data" to justify claims of an earnings collapse.
She also stressed that introducing a cap on taxi licences was a matter for the Transport Minister Noel Dempsey. Over the coming months, Ms Doyle will consult with industry stakeholders on the report.
Mr Dempsey will then make a decision on whether actions like a cap on licences are necessary.
As the market for taxis grows increasingly competitive, a Dublin company has begun offering a 20pc discount on metered fares while a Galway company is offering discounts to customers with special cards. Ms Doyle said her office "promotes competition".
Last week's economic review of the taxi industry was the first one undertaken since 2005.
Re: The Report
March 9, 2009 by hubcap
http://www.taxiregulator.ie/files/publications/Economic_%20Review%20_09_03_2009.pdf
Taxi regulator gets easy ride
March 9, 2009 by hubcap
Monday March 09 2009
Looking at the number of taxis overflowing the ranks on to the streets, I'm wondering why the Government didn't deregulate the pub business or the bus routes while they were at it.
Imagine if everyone could have their own pub licence for, say, €100, or if they bought a minibus they could pick up anyone going on their own daily route.
Years ago, taxis were relatively uniform and the drivers knew where they were going. Now, when you hail a taxi, the driver may ask you to input your destination on his GPS because he doesn't understand Irish street names.
And whether you get a filthy VW Polo or an immaculate 07 Merc, the fare is the same.
If you have a complaint about the taxi, you'll be fobbed off by the gardai to the taxi regulator, and back to the gardai again, until you tire of complaining!
I understand from taxi drivers that while the price of fuel was going up, the taxi regulator ordered an expensive 'public consultation' about a price increase. And then, just as the fuel price was falling, the taxi regulator sanctioned a price increase. But the cost of the recalibration of taxi meters was €70 (for five minutes' work) and €91 to test and seal the meter (10 minutes' work).
That works out at €640 per hour for meter companies/ testers.
The taxi regulator earns about €62 per hour while the taxi driver is now reduced to €5 per hour.
It's about time the minister for transport got off the fence and sorted out the taxi regulator's office.
Brendan Lynch
Bray, Co Wicklow
Ryanair boss urges taxi drivers to work harder
March 5, 2009 by hubcap
Ryanair boss urges taxi drivers to work harder
PAUL CULLEN, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary says protesting taxi drivers should work harder or get out of the business if they have a problem making a living.
Mr O'Leary, who holds a taxi-licence plate but uses it purely for personal journeys, said he doesn't support today’s protest by taxi drivers and would be actively using his taxi on Dublin's roads today.
He said he had "no time" for the drivers' action and called on the Government to have the guts to issue taxi plates for as many people as might want them.
Mr O'Leary, a trenchant critic of aviation regulation, said he strongly supported the existing system of taxi regulation. "If people can't make a living from taxis, they should work longer hours or go somewhere else. There are plenty of others who will take their place."
Speaking at the launch of a Ryanair "rescue plan" for Irish tourism, he also called for a further expansion of bus-lanes. "Speaking as one of the many contented and very happy taxi licence-holders in the country, I think the present system is working fine."
Illegal taxis and prices in spain
February 15, 2009 by hubcap
Found this its in local free paper in spain!
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Illegal taxis and prices in spain
With reference to your editorial of January 16th concerning illegal taxi drivers, you mention that the fare from the airport to Calahonda is 30 euros. This must be a mistake on your part, as the fare to Marbesa, just a few kilometers away, is 65 euros and if you are unlucky it is 75 euros. Many people now take the train and a taxi from Fuengirola.
Re: Dublin Taxi Protest pictures. pictures taken and permission to use them by 'leapleg
February 13, 2009 by hubcap
How Much Kathleen Doyle Earns
February 13, 2009 by hubcap
This forum is first again with the facts - just how much does Kathleen Doyle earn????
€137,000 per year
Wexford Cheap Fares or Not?
February 13, 2009 by hubcap
A taxi company in Wexford are advertising fares anywhere in the town for €5.
Note for wexford members this would be classed as over charging as the fare starts at €4.10 so get onto the TR.
TR office
Commission for Taxi Regulation’s offices at 01-6593800.
Re: problems typing?
February 12, 2009 by hubcap
Yeh i have lots of problems with this forum we could do with setting up a new forum on our own webspace.
We just need somebody with a paypal account to pay for the hosting... should not cost much and i would be happy to make a donation via post as i dont have paypal.
I love the banner here but the board is a killer to keep up with i understand its not the owners fault :)
