‘’Now that the much-awaited report into taxi numbers is completed, the government seems happy to ignore the obvious, breathe a sigh of relief and thank God they have yet another committee to hide behind,’’ Local Election candidate Eugene McGuinness.
We can all see the lines of taxis on our streets and wonder how they can all make money. The simple answer is, they can’t. Just to make an industrial wage taxis need to work day and night in an industry that has become increasingly dangerous. I see lots of letters to the Kilkenny Advertiser complaining about drink or drug related incidents on our streets, but remember, it is the taxi men and women who bring these trouble makers home. If you see trouble on the town you can always walk to the other side of the street but when they are sitting beside you in a taxi, in some cases, you are putting your life in danger.
If this Government was serious about maintaining a decent taxi service in this country they should:
Abolish all VRT on purpose=built taxis coming into this country. This insures that all taxis not only offer superior levels of comfort for passengers but also ensures the drivers are protected, as all-purpose build taxis have a protective screen.
The issuing of taxi licences should be stopped immediately and any new licence should only be issued on per head of population basis. A person who has purchased a licence and is unable to make a living should be able to return his/her licence to the taxi regulator and get a refund of his/her licence fee. This will ensure that taxi licences can be taken out of the system unlike the situation at the moment where the driver needs to sell on his/her plate to get their money back, keeping that plate in circulation.
A new increased fine for parking in taxi ranks should be introduced.
It should also be pointed out that the Borough Council has an obligation in this matter and installing proper taxi ranks is one. Of the two main taxi ranks, which currently exist in Dunne’s Stores car park, one is never used (a complete waste of money ) and the other requires taxis to do a three-point turn to get around. None of the ranks has any shelter in place for passengers and the temporary signs on display don’t exactly instil confidence. The ranks in John’s Street and High Street work well but illegal parking at night causes chaos. Tickets have to be issued but unfortunately the Garda does not seem to have the manpower or will to do it. However, if a taxi has its rear sticking out slightly at the end of the queue, gardai always seem to be on hand to tell the driver to move on.
A good taxi service is a necessity but the Government and local councils must step up to the mark.
