Former president of the Irish Taxi Council and spokesman for Tiomanaí Tacsaí na hÉireann Frank Byrne, who pleaded guilty yesterday for failure to renew his taxi licence, has said he withheld payment as part of a protest, writes Fiona Gartland.
Mr Byrne said he informed Taxi Regulator Kathleen Doyle and then minister for transport Noel Dempsey in January 2010 that he and other members of its executive would not be paying for the renewal of licences in protest at a sharp increase in their cost. The charge for a five-year renewal had gone up from €15 to €250.
Mr Byrne was stopped by a taxi enforcement officer on February 2nd this year at Dublin airport. His vehicle licence had been out of date since May 2010.
In the Dublin District Court yesterday, Mr Byrne pleaded guilty to failing to renew his licence.
Judge Olann Kelleher fined him €200 and €500 in costs.