Taxi drivers facing ‘unfair’ competition
Killarney Fianna Fáil Councillor Brian O’Leary also claimed some “outside” taxi drivers were “charging whatever they like” giving local drivers a bad name. He called for a cap on the number of taxis.
“It has come to the stage in Killarney where local taxi drivers just can’t earn a living,” Cllr O’Leary told this week’s town council meeting. Cllr O’Leary said the situation was brought home to him recently when he got a taxi to his home in Killarney. The driver asked him to spell the name of the estate in which he lived for the GPS navigation system. It was clear the driver did not know his way around Killarney, said Cllr O’Leary.
Labour Councillor Sean O’Grady said it is a “bit rich” for a FF councillor to be complaining about a situation which was brought about by his own government. He said the government had opened up the market for taxis by giving out any number of licences. However, Cllr O’Leary said: “I think the point has been reached where taxi numbers must be controlled.”
