‘INHERENTLY RACIST and xenophobic” was the verdict of Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar when asked for his opinion about the use of taxi stickers and green lights designed to alert customers that the driver in question was Irish. He welcomed moves by the National Transport Authority to prohibit the practice and said the important thing was for customers to know the identity of the taxi driver and not his race or nationality.
Even before the influx of foreign workers during the early years of this century, surveys conducted by the Rev Micheál Mac Gréil identified significant undercurrents of racism in Irish society. At the time, much of the antipathy was directed towards Travellers. Since then, demographic changes, falling living standards and competition for jobs may have exacerbated those attitudes. That is why it is so important for Government Ministers and those in authority to speak out and to publicly check discriminatory or inherently racist behaviour. In some cases, that will involve advising the public on what behaviour is, or is not, acceptable. The National Transport Authority has ordered taxi drivers to remove green lights from their vehicles because they do not form part of the official signage. Its legal authority to direct the removal of bumper stickers that draw attention to the nationality of the driver is also being examined. These are welcome developments. But they should not distract from the importance of dealing with serious regulatory problems within the taxi industry.
An Indecon report found public demand for taxis had fallen by about one-third, following the onset of recession in 2008, but that the number of vehicles competing for business remained high. As for what should be done to limit taxi numbers, it recommended effective enforcement of vehicle licensing and the law. Its underlying assumption was that tax evasion and social welfare non-compliance remained high within the industry, along with the number of illegal operators and work time abuses. The industry has been under immense strain since it was deregulated 12 years ago. Back then, 4,000 taxis provided a totally inadequate service and licences were the equivalent of bank drafts. Three times that number of taxi drivers now find themselves chasing a contracting market. And while competition is normally good for consumers, there are occasions when the tactics used to gain advantage are unacceptable. This is one of those times.