Taxi driver denies accusations of racism

ONE of the country’s best-known taxi drivers has denied his association is racist and refusing membership to foreign nationals because of their skin colour.

Derry Coughlan, the long-serving chairman of the Cork Taximen’s Association, sparked a race row after comments he made during the 24-hour strike on Monday.

He told TV3 news that his association’s constitution does not allow “non-national members at the moment”.

“We can only take in local Cork men who are affiliated to the Cork taxi meter area,” he said.

The rules are “open to interpretation” and “open to challenge”, he said.

He was responding to claims by Lama Niankowe, a black taxi driver working in Cork and who crossed picket lines on Monday.

Mr Niankowe said he approached Mr Coughlan’s association two years ago and was told it is for Irish drivers only.

“Two weeks ago, a friend of mine asked the same question, and he was told the same answer,” he said.

But Mr Coughlan said yesterday that his comments were taken out of context.

He said his association has members from Tunisia, Chile, Poland, Albania, Bangladesh, England and Scotland. But he admitted that none of its members is black.

“They are too new to our shores and too amateur to get the act right,” he said.

“We are like a football club. You wouldn’t take in a fella who can’t play football.”

The Cork Taximen’s Association is affiliated to the Irish Taxi Drivers’ Association. It represents about 350 full-time taxi drivers in Cork.

Mr Coughlan has been a member for 30 years and chairman for 17.

He said his members have spent decades building up the business and relations with the public.

“To become a member of our association, you must have a proven qualification, be able to converse with people, have route knowledge, and give a person a fair deal on fares,” Mr Coughlan said.

But he said his association has received several complaints about foreign national taxi drivers.

“This has nothing to do with race. But members of the public are telling us they are not happy with them,” he said.

“We are getting too many complaints about their attitude and manners, and about some drivers not knowing where they are going, especially in rural areas.

“And they are putting people out of their cars in rural areas because they don’t know where they are. They are too short on our shores to prove themselves. It will take time for them to regulate themselves.”

Speaking in Cork yesterday, Labour Affairs Minister Billy Kelleher said foreign national taxi drivers should be allowed to join any representative association.

“I understand that taxi drivers are under pressure. But the law is colour-blind,” he said.

“Anyone living legally in this country, and who is working here legally, should be entitled to membership of a trade union or association.”

He said their eligibility for membership should be based on their job, and no other factor.

Any group that is found to have discriminated against an individual on grounds of race or religion could be found to be in breach of equality legislation.