Taxi drivers 'leaving in droves' as industry hit hard by pandemic

[sore]

THE TAXI INDUSTRY has been hit hard by the pandemic, drivers say, with many deciding to look for employment elsewhere after months with little or no work.

Tony Rowe, taxi driver and chairman of the National Transport Assembly, told TheJournal.ie that drivers are “leaving the industry in droves”.

“There has probably been an over 70% fall-off in demand for taxis, there’s still very little work even though some things are opened back up,” he said.

“Many drivers have been off since March, some of them are coming back now because the Covid payment has been reduced but there’s not enough jobs to make enough to live on. A lot of drivers I talk to now have young families and mortgages and they’ve started looking for work elsewhere.”

He said drivers need greater supports and that the government should be paying for the installation of plastic screens and for other personal protective equipment like masks and hand sanitising stations in their cars.

“Taxis are public service vehicles just like buses. There were drivers who didn’t stop working all the way through and they were the ones on the frontline getting doctors and nurses into work at the height of it. Drivers bring patients to their hospital appointments and deliver blood to the hospitals. They need to be protected.”

Rowe said drivers are also concerned about proposals submitted by Dublin County Council recently to Transport Minister Eamon Ryan, which would see taxis banned from some of the city’s bus lanes. The Irish Times reported last month that the minister and two Green Party councillors attended a meeting with senior council officials about the proposals.

Rowe said these types of measures would “put more drivers out of work” and he has been in touch with the Green Party to express his concern about the council’s submission.

“We’ve already had a large number of ranks taken out of the city and now they want to stop the taxis using bus lanes. Drivers are wasting between five and nine litres of fuel a day because they’re driving around, with no ranks in busy areas to park up at where they’d be able to pick up work. If the Greens want to clean up the air in the city, there’s a way to reduce the fumes from taxis. Now they want to make the situation worse by keeping us out of the bus lanes.”

Drivers will be staging a drive-through protest to highlight their financial difficulties and express their opposition to these types of measures on 15 September at 10am at Conyngham Road beside the Phoenix Park.

https://www.thejournal.ie/taxi-drivers-5202459-Sep2020/

[dalymount]

Thats a load of bollox what tony rowe said about drivers leaving in their droves.Joe Heron said the same thing.that kind of talk only ENCOURAGES the NTA to issue more licences .what kind of fukin morans would make such statements,particularly when ITS NOT FUKIN TRUE.THERE ARE STILL TO MANY FUKIN TAXIS,and it seems tony,and joe want to encourage the NTA to replenish the stock

[Tony]

Deserting scummmm

[Shallowhal]

Deserting scummmm

+1.

[watty]

Lies, Lies and damned statistics.  I wonder if the figures below include those who surrendered their licences because of the pandemic...

In 2018*, there was 20,733 vehicle licences and 26,405 driver licences.
At 31 Aug 2020, there was 19,638 vehicle licences and 26,277 driver licences.

So it looks like vehicle and driver numbers are down a tiny bit.

* Official NTA stats:
Taxi Statistics for Ireland – Statistical Bulletin No. 2 2019 (PDF) (Published Oct 2019?)
Valid Vehicle Licences (31 Aug 2020)
Valid Driver Licences (31 Aug 2020)

[Bob Shillin]

1095 plates less or 5.28%. How many of those are rural operators?

[dalymount]

I cant believe our so called reps are making such statements to encourage more into the industry.one could e forgiven for wondering have they been nobbled by dispatcher bastards,who will try anything to get more drivers signed up

[Rat Catcher]

1095 plates less or 5.28%. How many of those are rural operators?

How many temporarily suspended on account of COVID '19?

[Bob Shillin]

1095 plates less or 5.28%. How many of those are rural operators?

How many temporarily suspended on account of COVID '19?

No mention of "active" or otherwise.

[Jonno]

Thats a load of bollox what tony rowe said about drivers leaving in their droves.Joe Heron said the same thing.that kind of talk only ENCOURAGES the NTA to issue more licences .what kind of fukin morans would make such statements,particularly when ITS NOT FUKIN TRUE.THERE ARE STILL TO MANY FUKIN TAXIS,and it seems tony,and joe want to encourage the NTA to replenish the stock

The nta will know when there are under or over supplies of drivers simply by looking at the number of active licences. A couple of muppets exaggerating on a radio show won't panic the herd.

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[dalymount]

Thats a load of bollox what tony rowe said about drivers leaving in their droves.Joe Heron said the same thing.that kind of talk only ENCOURAGES the NTA to issue more licences .what kind of fukin morans would make such statements,particularly when ITS NOT FUKIN TRUE.THERE ARE STILL TO MANY FUKIN TAXIS,and it seems tony,and joe want to encourage the NTA to replenish the stock

The nta will know when there are under or over supplies of drivers simply by looking at the number of active licences. A couple of muppets exaggerating on a radio show won't panic the herd.

Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk

I cant believe their own members are noy on to them,asking them whst the fukk they are playing at by making such statements.imagine saying publicly that drivers are leaving in their droves.the first thing theNTA say to themselves is,right we better do something about that,we better issue ANOTHER few thousand licences.what kind of fobshites are they

[Nite man]

It's OK, replacement young Pakistan, Indians, and wide boy Nigeria men on the way as we speak.
Let there be no panic all immigrants take the jobs lazy Irish don't want.
It's the way of the jungle all roads lead to Dublin and its cheap wheelchairs plates.

[john m]

It's OK, replacement young Pakistan, Indians, and wide boy Nigeria men on the way as we speak.
Let there be no panic all immigrants take the jobs lazy Irish don't want.
It's the way of the jungle all roads lead to Dublin and its cheap wheelchairs plates.

Bubba and myself both proposed WATs for all .If we done that there would of been no need for WAT plate giveaway to meet the requirements of those who needed WAVs .Fair play to anybody who ponies up to put a WAV on the road and provide a much needed service .

[mercenary for hire]

Erm you could be sitting in a 40k wheelchair van and still getting fuk all work.

[Jonno]

Thats a load of bollox what tony rowe said about drivers leaving in their droves.Joe Heron said the same thing.that kind of talk only ENCOURAGES the NTA to issue more licences .what kind of fukin morans would make such statements,particularly when ITS NOT FUKIN TRUE.THERE ARE STILL TO MANY FUKIN TAXIS,and it seems tony,and joe want to encourage the NTA to replenish the stock

The nta will know when there are under or over supplies of drivers simply by looking at the number of active licences. A couple of muppets exaggerating on a radio show won't panic the herd.

Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk

I cant believe their own members are noy on to them,asking them whst the fukk they are playing at by making such statements.imagine saying publicly that drivers are leaving in their droves.the first thing theNTA say to themselves is,right we better do something about that,we better issue ANOTHER few thousand licences.what kind of fobshites are they

On another subject Daly, any word going around on the upshot of that incident in Saville place with the one punch knockout a couple of weeks ago? The villain died in hospital last night. He was from round my neck of the woods and certainly will not be missed. Bad bad family. The guards are investigating it says. Hope your man isn't prosecuted. He was protecting life and property.

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