The Cork Taximen's Association is to take legal advice today on whether an action in the High Court could force the Government to rescind the new deregulation order.
A spokesman for the association said that while the 216 taxi-owners in Cork had withdrawn their services for the second day in protest against the taxi plate liberalisation, they had responded to emergency calls.
The spokesman said if they found "that by using the courts we can force the Minister to back down then that would allow us to go back to work and resume the service to people who are being victimised through no fault of ours". Taxi-drivers protested outside Cork Airport and drove go-slow fashion through the centre of Cork as rush hour approached, but there were no major delays. *Limerick: Hackney cabs protested in sympathy with Limerick taxi-drivers yesterday, in a slow convoy to Shannon in the early morning and with a circuit of the city in the afternoon, writes Eibhir Mulqueen.
The 40-taxi convoy caused five-mile tailbacks from Limerick. Gardai kept a lane open to traffic.
*Galway: Galway was without a taxi service yesterday, following a decision by the three main companies to extend their withdrawal of services beyond 24 hours, writes Lorna Siggins.
Drivers sat in their cars at the rank in Eyre Square, and most voiced severe criticism of the Minister of State for the Environment, Mr Bobby Molloy.
*Waterford: Waterford city people were left without taxis until 6 p.m. yesterday as taxi-owners withdrew service in protest at deregulation.