Second 24-hour taxi strikedue to be held today

Up to 14,000 taxi driver are to take part in a 24-hour work stoppage today - the second in just over two weeks - in protest at the refusal of taxi regulator Ger Deering to row back on changes to the industry.

A national meeting of taxi drivers will be held in two weeks' time to discuss a possible escalation of disruption ahead of the introduction of the new fare structure on September 25th.

About 12,000 of the State's 17,000 taxi drivers stopped work for 24 hours from 5am on July 17th and fewer than 100 taxis operated in Dublin during the stoppage, according to the National Taxi Drivers' Union (NTDU).

A similar taxi shortage is expected today, with pickets on ranks in all major urban centres. Dublin airport, now in its busiest period of the year, is likely to be worst hit, with passengers forced to rely on bus services which are already stretched to capacity.

The protests are organised by the three main taxi drivers' unions - the NTDU, Siptu and the Taxi Drivers' Federation - which claim that the industry changes being introduced on September 25th will have a "devastating" impact on drivers.

The unions' complaints centre around the new fare structure, which will see the abolition of luggage charges and a €1.50 hiring charge for picking up passengers from Dublin airport, and a single national fare which will result in drivers in certain areas having to charge lower rates.

They also object to the new licence plate numbering system, which unions say will make it easier for drivers to illegally operate outside their boundaries.

However, Mr Deering has said he cannot, and will not, make any changes to the new fare structure at this point.

Tommy Gorman, of the NTDU, and John Ussher, of the taxi federation, have broken all links, with Mr Deering, resigning last week from the Taxi Advisory Council.

The council, made up of representatives of the taxi unions, gardaí and consumer and business interests, was established to advise the regulator.

"What is the logic in having an advisory council if Mr Deering doesn't have to take advice from anyone and has no interest in anyone's advice . . . Relations between myself and Ger Deering are at an all-time low," Mr Gorman said.

Siptu taxi drivers' representative Jerry Brennan said yesterday he is also unhappy with the council and is considering his position on it.