Galway taxi drivers will be hoping City Hall will implement most of their recommendations for new taxi ranks around the city when they meet with city manager Joe MacGrath next week.
The Galway Taxi Association - which represents Big O Taxis, Galway Taxis, Abby Taxis, City Taxis, Local Taxis, Failte Taxis, and independent taxi operators - will meet Mr MacGrath on Wednesday to discuss its Blueprint For New Taxi Ranks In Trading Areas For Galway.
The blueprint is a detailed document, drawn up by the GTA, which outlines new sites for taxi ranks throughout the city. The GTA is “very hopeful” that city officials will engage with their blueprint and will recommend the 15 city councillors also support it.
The meeting arose from a motion by Labour Cllr Tom Costello at Monday’s city council meeting. Cllr Costello called for city manager Joe MacGrath to resign as a member of The Commission for Taxi Regulation’s Advisory Council and for him to engage with the Galway Taxi Association in implementing the group’s blueprint.
In response to the motion, Mr McGrath said he sits on the Taxi Regulation’s Advisory Council on behalf of the City and County Managers Association and he would only resign from the position if asked to do so by the CCMA.
He also said that the taxi industry has seven representatives on the TRAC and that the GTA should be calling on them to resign. However the GTA dispute that members cited by Mr MacGrath are involved in the taxi industry. It also says none of them is resident in Galway.
Fianna Fáil Cllr Michael J Crowe proposed that the references to Mr McGrath be removed and that the second part of the motion remain. This was supported by a majority of councillors.
Enda O’Rouke of the Galway Taxi Association said the group was “disappointed” and “frustrated” that the motion was “diluted” and criticised “the amount of grandstanding by councillors”. Nonetheless the group is still going ahead with the meeting in City Hall.
