Taxi licence holders thin on ground for hackney protest

Fewer than 50 taxi licence holders attended yesterday's meeting in Phoenix Park to oppose what they claim are Dublin Corporation's plans to give hackney drivers the same rights as taxi drivers at a meeting tonight. Dublin Corporation, in a statement issued at the weekend, denied claims that it is to change the law to allow hackneys to carry identification signs, use two-way radios and use bus-lanes.

At tonight's meeting, the Corporation will consider 31 recommendations from a consultative body, set up by the four Dublin local authorities to investigate Dublin's taxi/hackney industry. Three of the recommendations relate to the hackney drivers' use of identification, radios and bus-lanes.

The Irish Taxi Licence Owners' Association (ITLOA) asserted last week that tonight's meeting would lead to hackneys operating as taxis by the end of this week.

However, a spokeswoman for the Corporation said "any changes of that nature would require legislation from the Minister for the Environment and Local Government [Mr Dempsey]".

Dublin Corporation has the power to implement a number of the recommendations, including that 826 new taxi licences be issued by 2002 and that the moratorium on the issuing of hackney licences be lifted.

Despite the Corporation's statement, yesterday's protest was told that the three recommendations on hackney drivers, once sent to the Department, could be legislated for within a week.

"If all 30 recommendations are accepted," Mr Tom Darcy, spokesman for the ITLOA, said, "the taxi industry in this city could be destroyed by Christmas."

The three other local authorities in the city will meet to discuss the recommendations next week. Mr Darcy said there were 2,274 taxi licence owners in Dublin city who had paid "up to £80,000 for their plates. And now we're looking at 4,122 hackneys, who have paid just £1,000 for their licences being awarded the same rights as taxi-drivers."

"The Corporation's recommendations will not be a deciding factor," the spokeswoman said, adding that Dublin's three other local authorities would have to meet to consider the proposals before the Corporation could write to the Minister with its recommendations. The prospect of changes in legislation this year was "very unlikely", she concluded.

The ITLOA is to seek an urgent review by the Minister of the taxi situation in Dublin. Mr Darcy said last night that if there was no action on this by Wednesday, December 16th, ITLOA members would march on Clonshaugh Industrial Estate in Coolock.