Taxi regulator receives over 130 complaints

More than 130 complaints against taxi drivers, most relating to overcharging, have been made to the Commission for Taxi Regulation since it took over enforcement powers from the Garda two months ago.

The commission, headed by the regulator, Ger Deering, has had the power since September 25th to issue fines of up to €250 to drivers, to call them to its offices for interview about complaints and to take court cases against drivers where they refuse to pay fines.

These new powers went largely unnoticed because they coincided with the launch of the new national fare which had been the subject of Statewide protests by drivers before its introduction. However, the commission's enforcement activities will increase substantially in the new year when eight new enforcement officers take to the streets.

Their work marks a new departure in the regulation of the taxi industry. The Garda Carriage Office previously took complaints from the public in relation to taxi drivers and gardaí conducted roadside checks of vehicles but this is the first time that enforcers will actually take taxi journeys and will have the power to prosecute offending drivers.

The team of 11 enforcers - three have already started work, including the commission's enforcement manager, Eddie Fullerton - will take trips anonymously posing as ordinary passengers, but if they discover any breach of regulations they will inform the driver that they are a commission enforcer, produce a warrant card and prosecute on the spot.

Until now the commission has focused on creating awareness of the new rules on fares and the new licence numbering system to allow for bedding-in time, Mr Deering said, but with the increase in enforcement officers the focus is shifting to ensuring standards are met.

"We have had very considerable co-operation from the individuals involved with the changes, and we will be conducting reviews of how things are working on an ongoing basis, but now we will be ratcheting up the enforcement.

"We've worked to date on warning individuals, but when the officers are fully in place, well we won't be heavy-handed, we have to listen to all sides and we will be fair, but the rules will be enforced."

The enforcers would have a very widespread presence, he said. Complaints were being received on a national basis and the enforcers, while based in Dublin, would make regular visits to the regions.

There is "100 per cent compliance" with the new roof signs which had to be changed to accommodate the new national licence numbers and with meter conversion to the new tariffs, Mr Deering said. "The legal metrology service has told us that the number of meters converted matches the number of licences held."

However, some areas still require reform. Of the 130-plus complaints received, about 20 were assessed as being criminal, relating to road traffic offences or assaults on passengers, and were referred to the gardaí. A similar number of complaints were found not to be valid. Of the remaining cases that were validly within the jurisdiction of the commission, more than half related to overcharging.

Several of these complaints related to overcharging at Dublin airport. The €1.50 airport pick-up charge was abolished by Mr Deering last September. The removal of this charge was central to the taxi drivers' protests, and a number of drivers are still attempting to get around the new rules. One method used is to charge a €2 booking fee, which Mr Deering said is "not permitted at any transport hub".

Another is a practice known in industry parlance as "boiling the kettle". This involves putting the meter on while waiting at a rank or plying for hire on the street. At the airport it is done in the taxi holding area designated by the Dublin Airport Authority and known by drivers as "the Kesh" - a reference to the Long Kesh internment camp.

This is a particularly invidious type of overcharging, Mr Fullerton said, because many people taking taxis at the airport would not know what charges should appear on the meter at the start of the trip or what a likely fare for their journey would be.

A number of other overcharging complaints related to a driver taking what the passenger perceived was an unnecessarily circuitous route and, although this may seem subjective, the commission has upheld a number of these complaints.

Mr Fullerton said he had received one complaint where the overcharging was "blatant to the point of theft". This occurred on a long journey where one passenger left the cab and paid the driver his portion, yet the driver still charged the full fare.

Driver conduct and use of language generated a significant proportion of the complaints. "In some cases the language used to passengers and the way it was used has been such as to require the involvement of the gardaí."

One complaint relating to use of language and driver behaviour arose when a driver was overly enthusiastic in telling a passenger about his marital problems, Mr Fullerton said. "In this case the language used included descriptions of what was lacking in the bedroom." This was unacceptable, he said, and this driver was being called in for interview. If he had genuine problems the commission would try to help him, Mr Fullerton said. A small number of driver conduct complaints were about smoking and these are referred to the Office of Tobacco Control. Complaints were also made about the condition of cars. Under new standards which have been put out to public consultation, cars must be of a "recently valeted standard". One complainant said the taxi he took was "filthily stained and contained a foul smell".