I'm not sue what schemes you're talking about, Tim. Business and the public in general require a taxi service that is fit for purpose. Of course the authorities are going to look elsewhere (hackneys, local area hackneys, rideshare or whatever) if taxis can't deliver that service. The Dundalk "scheme" was part of establishing county based Taximeter Areas. The Tax "scheme" applies to everybody taking up self-employment, efficient tax planning is all that is. There are other schemes aimed at getting idlers to work such as BTWEA, etc... they all make sense and are generally successful.
The fact that the vast majority of taxi drivers manage quite well having never sat the Kathleen Doyle test is proof positive that it is not justified. It may be justifiable but such justification would require making it mandatory for all drivers to pass the test periodically, cities evolves as time progresses. Lifting the temporary moratorium on the issue of saloon taxi plates makes no sense, the current policy is working very well.
We thought that the trade would collapse on deregulation. I recall Minister Molloy telling me that it might't be as bad as we thought. In essence he was right, it didn't collapse within weeks or months, in fact trade increased in the short-medium term as increased supply encouraged increased utilisation. The collapse came some eight years after deregulation when the economy collapsed. Minister Dempsey noted, at that time, that there will be no significant improvement in trade until the economy recovers. Again, he was right. Our Government's commitment to boom/bust economics is the biggest threat to our livelihoods regardless of any tinkering with the rules in between.
It's a shame that the defence forces don't invest in helping retiring soldiers further their careers in the civilian arena. It seems crazy that so many simply discard their skills and opt to drive cabs.
