Another fake taxi in Cork

[watty]

Gardai seize ‘fake’ taxi at checkpoint as driver faces court appearance

Gardai have seized an unlicensed taxi at a checkpoint in west Cork.  The driver is now facing a court appearance after the car was stopped at Bandon on Wednesday.

According to a post on the Garda Southern Division Facebook page, the checkpoint was being carried out in co-operation with the National Transport Authority.  Gardaí also reminded people that it is possible to check if a car is actually a taxi by using the National Transport Authority Driver Check app.  If a person has doubts about the status of a taxi, they can enter the roof sign number, the registration number or the driver’s licence number to check if they are registered as a taxi with the National Transport Authority.

“Bandon Gardai with National Transport Authority conducted a check point and detected a car purporting to be a taxi,” gardai posted.  “Car seized and driver will face a court appearance. Please remember you can check drivers/vehicle details on the National Transport Authority Driver Check app."

Looks like a nice clean car as well!

[Cool Boola]

They would eat the bread out of your mouth.Might get a fine?

[Rat Catcher]

Doesn't look like a taxi but it's extremely difficult to find a cab in West Cork at night if you're off the beaten track. Having experienced it myself I can see why folk wouldn't give a bollox what it looks like once the man's prepared to drive you for a fare.

[Jack Meoff]

Prob some bloke trying to make a few bob on the side

[Rat Catcher]

He's not put a lot of thought into it. Without door stickers and a roof sign he's unlikely to be flagged down and he'd stick out like a sore thumb on a taxi rank... ifn they have taxi ranks in those parts?

[watty]

There were a couple of Eastern Europeans out Blanchardstown way who were advertising a fake airport taxi service to their countrymen via Facebook.  They got caught eventually.

So maybe it was something similar in Cork - you knew you were booking an illegal taxi so you wouldn't care if it had no stickers etc.

[Rat Catcher]

Rumour has it that "most" Ryanair staff use unlicensed hackneys operated by migrants from Eastern Europe but they don't ply or stand for hire so they're fake hackneys not fake taxis. The article quoted here specifies fake taxi.

[taxi1990]

Doesn't look like a taxi but it's extremely difficult to find a cab in West Cork at night if you're off the beaten track. Having experienced it myself I can see why folk wouldn't give a bollox what it looks like once the man's prepared to drive you for a fare.

maybe folk would prefer vetted drivers, insured taxis and not the local chancer/criminal driving them home? most people who use illegal taxis are riff raff with nothing between their ears. I see students with feck all money in my town who wouldnt dream of getting an illegal taxi but you get the alco clowns in their 40's, 50's 60's who will hop into a dirty unlicenced taxi with an even dirtier driver.

[Belker]

...... I see students with feck all money in my town who wouldnt dream of getting an illegal taxi ......

Keep it real 1990 !   

[Belker]

Prob some bloke trying to make a few bob on the side

I would agree with Jack, in rural Cork where there is NO TAXI SERVICE there are a few 'Calcutta Cabs' working small towns and villages just to make a few Bob.

The vast majority of rural Cork EVEN IF IT HAS A TAXI SERVICE has nothing available on weekend nights when most needed as the Cork rural drivers head in to the city center to increase their income.

'Calcutta cabs' are unlicensed, uninsured to drive fer Hire or Reward but still needed in the rural Cork areas.
Local area Hackney license was a good idea, but what are the insurance costs just to make a few Bob perr week ?

[taxi1990]

...... I see students with feck all money in my town who wouldnt dream of getting an illegal taxi ......

Keep it real 1990 !   

I carry plenty of students with little money and I know they dont use illegal taxis. im not saying all students wouldnt use one but lots of them dont.

As someone said to me before its only people with no self respect who would use one, getting into a banger of a car with the local header to save 2 euro and have the town laughing at you for doing so.

From my experience its just alcoholics, riff raff and people with a very low I.Q. that use illegal taxis and I have been watching them every day for the last 3 years, so I know the type of people who use illegal taxis.

You may say they are needed in rural cork but that is all ok until there is an accident or they attack a customer, there was an accident in a local town years ago with an illegal driver, then the customers turned on the driver straight away and it all came out what was going on.

[Rat Catcher]

Accidents can happen and we have a criminal law system that provides for incarceration of those deemed to be a danger to society. However, no form of vetting can detect those with no criminal record hence we have seen a significant number of sexual abuse cases against licensed and vetted taxi drivers over the years, the vast majority of the same being committed by white Irish by accident of birth drivers who were vetted from birth. I guess, in a lot of cases, it just comes down to a man putting himself in a situation that induces urges with which he cannot cope in a manner considered acceptable in this modern era. I wouldn't imagine the threat is any greater among unlicensed drivers but, in any event, I certainly wouldn't fear any of them myself. Maybe you believe all taxi drivers should be (chemically) castrated?

Based on my own experience in West Cork I'd take a lift of the devil himself. The motor seized in this case seems to be in very good nick, far better from a road safety perspective than a lot of the aging vehicles licensed by NTA which includes 15+YO converted cargo vans, FFS!

[taxi1990]

In my experience the illegal taxis are usually the dregs of the local town, when you think about it, anyone that has the neck to operate as an illegal taxi are usually a certain type of dodgy character. and in my experience they usually drive cars and vans that are falling apart. granted the one in this care looks good but that is rare in these cases.

[taxi1990]

https://businessplus.ie/news/taxi-illegal/

I agree with this 100%, but you never hear it mentioned much on Newstalk. illegal drivers are destroying the business in small towns especially.

Vinny should have went to court over the illegal taxi he got and try to get her prosecuted.

[silverbullet]

https://businessplus.ie/news/taxi-illegal/

I agree with this 100%, but you never hear it mentioned much on Newstalk. illegal drivers are destroying the business in small towns especially.

Vinny should have went to court over the illegal taxi he got and try to get her prosecuted.

Hearsay M'Lud.

It's cretins like Kearns who have the business in the state it's in. Using unlicensed drivers and vehicles, even going so far as paying for a trip in an unlicenced vehicle and NOT getting a receipt.

Worse still, what if there was an assault by the driver on the punter?

I can only think one one person who'd attempt to condone this behaviour.