Regulator: All taxi drivers must pass Garda check

By Fiachra Ó Cionnaith

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

THE taxi regulator has moved to quell public safety fears by insisting all drivers legally on Irish roads have passed stringent Garda vetting checks before entering the profession.

Speaking after a Limerick taxi driver who raped a 19-year-old girl was sentenced to seven years in jail by the Central Criminal Court, Kathleen Doyle said despite that situation, all legal drivers faced tough tests before receiving their licence.

Under current guidelines, anyone seeking to become a taxi driver must apply to the Commission for Taxi Regulation.

Provided they have an existing driver’s licence they are then required to pass a Garda-organised "fit and proper person" vetting process, which examines their background.

Should any criminal record be apparent, the superintendent at the Garda station in which the examination takes place will consider the matter on a case by case basis, with applicants barred from the profession if they are deemed to be a potential threat to the public.

A series of responsibilities will be transferred from gardaí to the Commission for Taxi Regulation over the coming months.

However, despite the move, Ms Doyle said officers will continue to have complete control over the vetting process regardless of the move.

"When we take it over in the future we will still rely on the gardaí to make that decision," the taxi regulator told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.

"They will decide whether the person is fit and proper, and the decision on whether to grant or refuse a licence. Obviously, anybody with criminal convictions shouldn’t be driving a taxi," she said.

The comment was repeated by the president of the Irish Taxi Drivers Federation, John Ussher, who said the vetting process, which currently takes place every five years, will be increased to every three years.

Anyone with any concerns over the safety of a taxi driver has been asked to confirm the vehicle has a five-digit roof sign. A yellow information page should also be present in the passenger side and all drivers must carry an ID card with the expiry date clearly stated.

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Wednesday, February 10, 2010