Councillors' U-turn on taxi licences

DUBLIN city councillors last night overturned their decision of March 4th last to issue 200 extra taxi plates and increase the taxi licence renewal fee to £750.

As 300 taxi drivers and owners protested outside, 27 councillors supported a Fianna Fail motion rescinding the earlier decision, with 15 against.

The Labour councillor Mr Dermot Lacey, abstained in the vote which came after a contentious meeting which lasted almost three hours.

The Fianna Fail motion proposed by Councillor Ivor Callely TD, approved the issuing of 100 "wheelchair accessible" taxi licences, at a cost of £20,000 each, to be paid in two £10,000 instalments.

It also proposed that the taxi licence renewal fee be £200, and that a liaison public service transport working group be set up.

The Department of the Environment is to be asked to amend regulations to allow for temporary taxi licences to be issued for a 21 day around the Christmas holiday period.

A customer charter is also to be introduced in the Dublin area to ensure "a standard of excellence in the taxi service".

It was also proposed that the Dublin taxi meter area be altered from its present 15 mile radius of the GPO to include the areas administered by all four Dublin councils, and that there be an annual review of the number of taxi licences and public transport in the city.

This latter clement will have to be agreed with the three other councils in the Dublin area. New hackney licences are to cost £400, and £200 per renewal.

Mr John Ussher of the Taxi Federation told The Irish Times he was "rather pleased" with the councillors' change of mind, but would have to consult members to see whether they were happy about it.

At an impromptu meeting outside the City Hall afterwards however, members were unequivocal in their enthusiasm for the councillors' decision.

Earlier, in a protest march from Parnell Square to the City Hall, taxi men held up rush hour traffic as they followed the Phoenix Youth Band from Tallaght.