Taxi union seeks 'full-scale' inquiry into industry

The National Taxi Drivers' Union (NTDU) will call on the Government to hold a "full-scale inquiry" into the industry, a spokesman said today.

The call follows the murder of a suspected gangland figure, was shot dead in his taxi last night, and allegations of rape against another driver, who is due in court later today.

The dead man was named this morning as Niall Mulvihill (57), who is believed to have had links with notorious Dublin criminal Martin Cahill.

A spokesman for the NTDU described the incidents as "absolutely horrific," adding: "We will be pressing the government to hold a full-scale inquiry into the taxi industry post-deregulation.

"We are aware of many other instances, and the majority of drivers absolutely abhor these sort of allegations," he said.

"We now have an exodus from the business of genuine taxi drivers who no longer want to work in an industry that is tarnished.

"There is no going back on deregulation, but we are calling on the Government to appoint a taxi regulator with statutory powers who can make necessary changes".

Fine Gael's Ms Olivia Mitchell called on the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, to immediately address what she called "the chaos in the taxi industry".

"The very least the public is entitled to is a licensed service in which they can have confidence for their personal safety. This is no longer the case in Dublin," she said.

"A regulator must immediately be appointed with all the powers to take the industry by the scruff of the neck and transform it into one which is safe, reliable and responsive to customer needs".