Foreign taxi drivers ‘fermenting racism’

FOREIGN taxi drivers are stirring up racism by giving passengers the run-around, taxi industry representatives have stated.

The Oireachtas transport committee was told that too many drivers, and particularly foreigners, did not know where they were going when they sat behind the wheel and were overcharging passengers by clocking up unnecessary miles trying to find their destination.

Dublin taxi drivers representative Richard Ryan said he suspected abuse of the knowledge test required for a public service vehicle licence as he did not believe every driver on the road had legitimately passed it.

He suggested some drivers were driving under other drivers’ licences, had got the test papers in advance and learned off the answers or, had someone else sit the test in their name.

Mr Ryan said he was aware of the sensitivities of the issue but said he had seen passengers at ranks waiting for the next car in line if the first was driven by a foreigner. “It seems that non-national drivers do not have an adequate knowledge of the city,” he said. “The situation is fermenting racism.”

James Connolly, Galway representative of the National Taxi Drivers Union, said there was a similar problem in his city with drivers not knowing key locations. He said a rule barring anyone resident in Ireland for less than five years from applying for a PSV licence would help, and it would also allow for more thorough background checks.

Committee chairman Frank Fahey TD of Fianna Fáil, said such a rule would be discriminatory and Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd cautioned against singling out foreigners for criticism.

“Your argument about drivers’ knowledge is valid but it would be better placed in the context of all taxi drivers — without reference to race, creed or skin colour,” he said.

Taxi regulator Kathleen Doyle told the committee that of the 763 complaints her office received last year, “less than a handful” were about drivers’ knowledge and these were not about foreigners. However, she said a new skills test for applicants would apply from January and would apply to existing drivers when they renewed their licence.

Ms Doyle also told the committee that the number of taxis in the country had increased by more than a third, from 19,561 to 26,324, since her office took over the issuing of taxi plates 18 months ago. She was greeted with jeers from taxi drivers in the public gallery when she insisted there was enough work for them all.

John Tebay, of the Waterford Taxi Association, said drivers were forced to work excessive hours or double-job to make a living. “There are drivers leaving one job to get into a car and drive for the night. That’s a health and safety issue.”

Mr Tebay and the other representatives also complained about the lack of taxi rank spaces in all three cities. They said taxis were regularly being fined for parking outside ranks but the alternative was to keep driving around, using fuel and creating more traffic.

Ms Doyle said her office was beginning a countrywide study of taxi rank needs this year, as well as an overall study on the economic impact of deregulation of the industry.