Roy says NTA not taking appts and threatening fines

[watty]

It seems Roy / IrishTaxi.org is still alive.  (I had his blog in my rss reader and saw his most recent post)

http://irishtaxi.org/national-transport-authority-are-back-to-bad-old-days/

<snip>
The NTA are threatening that from tomorrow any Taxi driver who doesn’t have their meter reprogrammed to the new higher tariff and resealed by the Legal Metrology Service will be subject to a fine of up to €250.

This is despite the NTA knowing that many Meter installers do not have the relevant programme and that the Legal Metrology Service have stopped taking appointments as they are booked out.

1000’s of Drivers ringing the NTA to explain their situation are being told that their phone call is being logged and recorded and that should they be found to be operating a meter offering the lower fare they will be fined as per the note above.

What do youse think?  Rank sh1te or a grain of truth?  Anybody work today and see any inspectors around?



As luck would have it, I'm not working at the moment because of a family member ending up in hospital.  Also, the software for my meter won't be available until Sat.  I was thinking about maybe heading out on Sat and Sunday.  Getting cabin fever    I'd risk a €60 fine but €250....



(Edit: I know the title is not 100% accurate but it gets the gist across.  Mods can change it if they want)

[Jack Meoff]

Don’t have mine done yet.
Will try and get it done next week.

[watty]

If it's true, it does seem like a f*ck-up.  Left hand... Right Hand...

Calibration is completed by a private taximeter installer of your choice. Verification is completed by Legal Metrology Services (LMS) through its contractor Applus. NTA is not involved in either of these contracts. It is up to the taxi operator to arrange for both calibration and verification in good time.

We're mostly one man sole trader operations,

Meter installer says don't look at me, talk to foreign meter maker...
Foreign meter maker says don't look at me, talk to NTA...
NTA says don't look at me, talk to LMS (Metrology)...
Metrology says don't look at me, talk to Applus...
Applus says 20k taxi meters!  You're sh1tting me!

And yet we're the ones who end up getting penalised 



Never realised how many people rely on us for their livelihoods....

[Dr. Martin Gooter Bling]

Joe, if I'm caught out working without my meter programmed to the new rate I'll be arrested and I'll be all over the 6 o'clock news Joe.
Joe, there's a conspiracy against taxi drivers orchestrated by the NTA.
Joe, a €250 fine will be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
Joe, my meter installer won't have the meter update for another 2 weeks. I'll be off the road for a fortnight because I'll be breaking the law if I go out to work Joe.
Joe, I woke up today and i'm a criminal all of a sudden.
Joe, a fella told me he was summonsed to the Carriage office to explain himself why he did'nt have the new meter update. He's worried sick Joe.
Joe, a fella told me he was brought before a judge earlier for picking somebody up on the old taxi fare rate.
Joe, the new fare cards that reflect the new meter rates have'nt been issued to us yet Joe. I'll be reported and I'll lose my license if a passanger makes a complaint Joe.
Joe, I can't get through to the NTA because thousands of us are ringing at the same time.
Joe, I rang the NTA today and I waited on hold for 3 hours.

[Belker]

Anybody work today and see any inspectors around?

I got a text earlier from our base to say taxi regulators were in Cork checking meters were updated.

[TheDevilHimself]

I thought the new fare structure was an increase, so why all the fuss if you "undercharge" for a short while ? and are we not legally required to have correct fare cards?

[Dr. Martin Gooter Bling]

Here we fuckin are now.
https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/news/i-cant-work-taxi-drivers-queue-for-hours-to-get-meters-upgraded-following-fare-increase-36556525.html

[Bob Shillin]

Getting fined for undercharging customers, NTA, must have something to do with this so Ted.

[Dr. Martin Gooter Bling]

Classic stuff is'nt it.
Joe, I can't work or else I'd be offering the public the same rate for the past 4 years.

[john m]

A bit of common sense .They will be handing out no fines just prodding most of you fucktards who even though most updates were available since November didnt bother your bollox getting it done .

[mercenary for hire]

  Theres no way I'd spend half a day queuing for a software update for 3% of a few days/weeks takings.Just drive the taxi,customers won't notice and you'll be unlikely to meet and enforcer(even if you do you'd talk yer way out of a fine).I'll go up to skan in a few weeks all relaxed and refreshed.

[john m]

  Theres no way I'd spend half a day queuing for a software update for 3% of a few days/weeks takings.Just drive the taxi,customers won't notice and you'll be unlikely to meet and enforcer(even if you do you'd talk yer way out of a fine).I'll go up to skan in a few weeks all relaxed and refreshed.

 Your really getting the hang of this taxi lark Merc believe about .0075 % of the crap you read and carry on carrying on .

[mercenary for hire]

How the fuk did the Independent know there were drivers queuing around the block in an relatively unknown industrial estate to get the meters reprogrammed.Some gobshite must be ringing the media to moan and be interviewed not realising that it makes us look like hungry fukkers.

[john m]

How the fuk did the Independent know there were drivers queuing around the block in an relatively unknown industrial estate to get the meters reprogrammed.Some gobshite must be ringing the media to moan and be interviewed not realising that it makes us look like hungry fukkers.

Have you seen the CHEAP SHOT by Mytaxi sending lads to do a suicide Aware course in branded fleecies and taking notes in half used diaries .How the fuck can you know anything about psychology or possibly medical conditions after a couple of hours course .Im amazed how low Mytaxi will go for cheap publicity .Ive seen their branded ambassadors telling lads begging on ranks to fuck off .There is one lad on Heuston was telling me his mother died recently he is there all the time with his cup collecting shrapnel I always talk to him and ask how he is .Actions speak louder than a press shot .I bet hundreds of other companies run awareness courses but dont go ringing the papers to get free advertising .

[Shallowhal]

Got my meter sealed yesterday,the inspector said he finished at 12 on Wed cos there wasn't any other bookings,my appointment yesterday was for 4.30,got there at 3.40 but didn't bother driving around to him till about 3.50,his last appointment left at 3.30,he said he was gonna ring me as they didn't book anyone else inbetween,so it seems LMS are the problem.