Céad Míle Fáilte

[Rat Catcher]

While Dublin is busy evolving into a hub of technological innovation it’s airport remains in the dark ages. The process of eHailing a taxi ought to be a simple task in this day and age. However, DAA goes out of it’s way to complicate the process in attempting to force passengers to use ranks served by men that spend most of their day in a facility that resembles a Columbian prison. We routinely read accounts of these men engaging in anti-social behaviour while waiting to thieve from passengers. Their unions stand up in court and defend all transgressions of the law from overcharging passengers to drug dealing.

Is it time for the honest, hard working taxi drivers who aren’t welcome at DAP to demand change?

[The Liffey Lip]

Shit-Stirring big style Mr Rats? No, it's only fair that the hard-working chocolate-cookie-eating-fat-cunts get compensated for said e-Hails. Bolivian marching powder needs e-hail if it's to make any in-roads into this male-dominated narco-quango.

[Rat Catcher]

Not at all, just thinking aloud. There seems to be an inordinate number of violent confrontations in DAA's taxi holding area. We've read accounts of fist fights, men spitting in each others faces, etc. We know that DAA protected drivers always top NTAs league tables of complaints with the most common complaint being overcharging. Having unions stand up in court to defend men breaking the law is taking the piss. Surely the time has come for NTA to break up this sordid protection racket.

[john m]

Rodent why do men pay the airport so they can  provide them with an essential service surely the airport should be making it easy for taxi drivers to pick up passengers from the airport to free up space for the next flight  In fact the airport should be paying the drivers to provide the service .Just look at the economics of it drivers driving to the kesh empty waiting around paying for the privileged and no PUC .Imagine a Union agreed to that .

[Rat Catcher]

There was an Airport PUC until c.2006. I think paying DAA was suggested by the unions. It was originally PPJ, when I first worked there it was 40p and you charged the passenger £1.20, that increased to 50p/£1.30 before the annual subscription was introduced. Airport PUC was €1.50 when abolished.

What we have now is drivers driving to the airport empty to join the rank and drivers who drop off passengers driving back to the city empty... which makes little sense. Added to that, DAA refuses to facilitate passengers who don't want to use the rank (often due to bad/unpleasant experiences), practically telling them that they must pay whatever the licensed driver demands or fukk off and walk.

[Lizzzy]

l don't know why they bother, l hear you could wait 3 hours for a job

[Shallowhal]

Time flys in the kesh!!

[Rat Catcher]

I think it's the passengers waiting 3 hours for them to stop brawling...

[Taxi driver42]

While Dublin is busy evolving into a hub of technological innovation it’s airport remains in the dark ages. The process of eHailing a taxi ought to be a simple task in this day and age. However, DAA goes out of it’s way to complicate the process in attempting to force passengers to use ranks served by men that spend most of their day in a facility that resembles a Columbian prison. We routinely read accounts of these men engaging in anti-social behaviour while waiting to thieve from passengers. Their unions stand up in court and defend all transgressions of the law from overcharging passengers to drug dealing.

Is it time for the honest, hard working taxi drivers who aren’t welcome at DAP to demand change?

Ah roys visions alive and well here

[Rat Catcher]

Hardly Roy's vision. The vast majority of the fleet is excluded and hampered by DAA in favour of a band of villains.

[Belker]

"A band of villains" is probably a tad harsh Rats, lets not tar them all with the same brush !

Cork airport is open to all with a C roofie sticker.

Shannon seems to be Hackney only.

Kerry airport I was in last week, there were 3 taxi's on the rank,
and all giving me de 'Evil eye' wiv miz C sticker, all of them knowing
that My Job wasn't going to Tralee or Killarney !

[Rat Catcher]

I may be being a little dramatic. There is a lot of stroking from DAP, probably not so many convicted drug dealers. No doubt there is a few honest hardworking men too. However, folk should be allowed eHail or phone for cabs if that's what they want to do. In the vast majority of cases passengers who don't want to use the rank make that decision because of previous bad experiences.

[Shallowhal]

A lot of airport workers requiring a taxi tend to head to Departures and pick up an empty of their choice rather than deal with his/her downstairs!!

[Belker]

I may be being a little dramatic. There is a lot of stroking from DAP, probably not so many convicted drug dealers. No doubt there is a few honest hardworking men too. However, folk should be allowed eHail or phone for cabs if that's what they want to do. In the vast majority of cases passengers who don't want to use the rank make that decision because of previous bad experiences.

I think you have the makings of a decent email there to the NTA and maybe also DAA.
The NTA actually do listen to us, I got a decent personal reply back from them about the Rickshaw regulations email that I sent them.

[Shallowhal]

The NTA actually do listen to us, I got a decent personal reply back from them about the Rickshaw regulations email that I sent them

What regulations?...there arn't any!!