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Taxi drivers avoiding 'violent' city centres at night due to fears about assaults

Representatives have warned drivers will continue to leave the sector unless greater supports are put in place.

TAXI INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES have said drivers are avoiding peak periods of demand or leaving the job altogether because they are concerned for their safety in “violent” cities at night. 

Over the summer, revellers in Dublin reported a significant shortage in the number of taxis available at the end of their nights out in the city centre. A survey by the National Transport Authority earlier this year found that 93% of licensed drivers were working but only 29% were working Friday and Saturday nights. 

Jim Waldron of the National Private Hire and Taxi Association (NPHTA) said the main reason drivers have given for avoiding nighttime work, particularly over weekends, is safety.

“A lot of drivers won’t work nights now, across the country the cities in particular have become very violent places,” he told The Journal.

“Even in terms of the public feeling safe, there seems to be very little visibility of guards on the streets. For years now we’ve been calling for a liaison officer so the guards can work with taxi drivers on safety issues but it’s fallen on deaf ears.

“If you ask drivers, most of them will have had some kind of incident and if they’ve been attacked sometimes they just go home, they don’t even report it.”

He said the new requirement to accept card payments, introduced at the start of this month, was also increasing the risk of conflict between passengers and drivers if a card does not work or Wifi drops out and the driver’s machine does not function.

His comments were echoed by David McGuinness, chairperson of the taxi driver representative organisation Tiomanai Tacsai Na HEireann (TTnH), who told The Journal that, while he hasn’t noticed a particular increase in passengers using credit or debit cards to pay their fares, he expects it will cause “friction”.

“Every so often because the signal drops you’ll have to say to the passenger that you need to move the car 20 feet up the road to get the signal, so that’ll cause a bit of friction,” he said. 

“We had put in proposals with the National Transport Authority to have some kind of pre-approval on cards before a journey starts but they rejected that.”

McGuinness said he has also been hearing from drivers about their concerns relating to safety. 

“Even though there have been some serious assaults on taxi drivers, I don’t remember the last time one was brought to court or there was a criminal conviction,” he said. “I don’t think it’s the guards’ fault, it seems like it may be treated differently in the courts, if someone had a few pints on them at the time it excuses the behaviour.”

He said drivers are often isolated when these incidents happen, without a way of quickly seeking assistance.

“If there’s an incident on a bus or train, there’s nearly an instant response from the guards or security but we’re on our own out there,” he said.

It’s not just at night, it happens all times of the day. I had an experience two weeks ago in broad daylight, I dropped off passengers and ended up in the middle of a drug deal gone wrong. My priority was to get myself and the car out of there, it was mayhem.

Taxi driver Tony Rowe, who is chairman of the National Transport Assembly Committee, said he has been engaging with officials to encourage a change to seatbelt regulations for drivers.

He told The Journal that many serious assaults in taxis begin with passengers pulling the driver’s seatbelt up around their necks to overpower them.

“If you go up the road to Newry, taxi drivers are exempt from wearing a seatbelt for that very reason, it makes them vulnerable to assaults,” he said.

“It’s something that’s going under the radar. I know of a driver who was savagely beaten in a car, a seatbelt was used in that attack. He’s left taxi driving now and he’s working as a security man, he says it’s less dangerous.”

Oireachtas committee

A number of taxi driver representative organisations addressed the Oireachtas Transport Committee yesterday, including the National Private Hire and Taxi Association (NPHTA) and Tiomanai Tacsai Na HEireann (TTnH).

Driver safety was one issue raised during the meeting.

Representatives also explained to the committee that there are a number of other factors that are pushing drivers out of the industry or discouraging new drivers from coming in. 

Jim Waldron told committee members that the rule requiring drivers to have a car that is less than 10-years-old should be loosened.

Representatives at the start of the Covid pandemic had requested a five-year extension for all vehicles.

Waldron said if the government wants to keep drivers in the industry they need support and time to recover from the impacts of the pandemic.

“Used cars costs have increased 60% according to car magazines,” he said. “Fuel costs have reached an all time high. Service costs have risen and use of cashless payments mean less take home pay for drivers despite the recent fare increase.

“Taxi drivers are facing the same cost of living challenges as all other sectors. These conditions are screaming out for a further extension of age limits to allow drivers time to recoup losses and build a financial footing to move forward with a newer vehicle preferably electric.”

A relaxation of this rule would also give drivers more time to procure electric vehicles, he said, which are currently in short supply.

David McGuinness told the committee that the sector needs to be incorporated into the public transport system.

“Taxis are the only 365 days a year, 24-hour, door-to-door transport service,” he said.

“This [incorporation into the public transport system] would lead to inclusion at large scale events resulting in temporary taxi stands and set down and drop off facilities. Currently large venues throughout the city have no taxi stands or set down or drop off areas resulting in operators [drivers] not offering their services at the venues.

“Difficulties with parking and the threat of being fined are some of the reasons operators quoted.” 

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29 Comments
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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Sep 15th 2022, 1:20 AM

    Coked up people don’t deserve a lift home from a man/women trying to make a living driving a taxi. The drunks are doable most times but not all the time that was always the case.But society has changed a lot and coke heads are a different species today. No wonder any taxi driver is trying to stay safe and avoid such problems on the best two nights of the week to the detriment of their financial circumstances.

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    Mute Tomo
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    Sep 15th 2022, 8:43 AM

    @Paul Gorry: Can’t just blame coke lol. I’ve been assaulted as a commuter going to work in the city centre 3 times in broad daylight. I’ve heard similar stories from colleagues of mine. It’s a third world cesspit. Nobody bothers to report a damn thing cause it’s a waste of everyone’s time as nothing comes of it unless you end up dead or in critical condition.

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    Mute Aidan Haughey
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    Sep 15th 2022, 12:38 AM

    Stay safe and stay out of these areas Friday and Saturday nights

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    Mute John Macken
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    Sep 15th 2022, 7:26 AM

    My uncle lost an eye and had 3 years off work after a passenger became violent. Perpetrator never found so little to no recourse for my uncle despite incident happening in busy Dublin City area.

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    Mute Patrick FitzGerald
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    Sep 15th 2022, 7:57 AM

    Another decade of SEVERELY suspended sentences for violent petty crime will surely solve this problem!

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    Mute Tom Bombdadil
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    Sep 15th 2022, 8:18 AM

    More police and harsher sentences for those who cannot conduct themselves in a civilised manner. Drink is not a excuse. How do taxis function in other countries late at night ?

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    Mute OnlyHereForTheComments
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    Sep 15th 2022, 8:23 AM

    @Tom Bombdadil: Other countries encourage people to act within the law, because they get severely punished if they don’t. Ireland provides a revolving door court system where judges wring their hands about difficult upbringings and send the little scallywags off to commit more and more crimes with little more than a stern wag of their fingers.

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    Mute Clodagh Nic L
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    Sep 15th 2022, 12:52 PM

    @Tom Bombdadil: shouldn’t even get that far. Bars should be provided with correct training and licensing to refuse drunk customers more drink. The number of people who’ve died or been seriously injured due to drunken violence is disgusting but TDs are afraid to limit alcohol consumption as it’s our personality as a nation. If you’re too drunk you should be handed a glass of water and be on your way. In ireland it’s taken as a personal insult if you’re refused a drink. Other countries don’t allow the level of drunkenness we do. It’s unsafe.

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    Sep 17th 2022, 10:23 PM

    @Clodagh Nic L: It is in the law, bars dont do it as it makes them money.

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    Mute Yop
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    Sep 15th 2022, 6:52 AM

    Launch Uber/Lyft or any other ride sharing platform please. There aren’t enough taxis to meet the demand

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    Mute David Burns
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    Sep 15th 2022, 7:16 AM

    @Yop: so they can get attacked too? You’re missing the point of the story.

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    Mute Dave Hammond
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    Sep 15th 2022, 11:47 AM

    @Yop: the issue is about security / the threats and behaviour of passengers especially late note revellers / the solution is not to have anyone who wants to driver Uber / that’s not a solution / the threats and security issues will be exactly the same except passengers will also be at increases risks from unregulated and unscreened Uber drivers preying on vulnerable passengers / so well done on misdiagnosing the problem because you’ve missed the issue by a country like there

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    Mute Liam P Dunne
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    Sep 15th 2022, 12:04 PM
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    Mute David Burns
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    Sep 15th 2022, 12:45 PM

    @Dave Hammond: Spot on

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    Mute Clodagh Nic L
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    Sep 15th 2022, 12:46 PM

    @Dave Hammond: passengers are rated by drivers on these apps. Drivers then choose who to pick up. They can choose 5* customers and the shitty customers will be left on the street. Yes it’s Black Mirror esqe but humans can no longer behave in a decent manner unless they’re being monitored apparently.

    The drivers can be regulated if government choose to. In edinburgh I can’t hop in my car and go and lift strangers off the street. It’s much safer. The driver has the customers details and vice versa if anything happens. Seems a reasonable solution.

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    Mute Ron
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    Sep 15th 2022, 7:26 AM

    Or not having any card reader is one that I have come across some taxi drivers still looking for cash

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    Mute Fozz
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    Sep 15th 2022, 8:40 AM

    @Ron: ah but the WiFi keeps dropping out!
    Such nonsense in the city where 4g is everywhere.
    If yer phone can connect, then the payment system can connect.

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    Mute Paolo Fandango
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    Sep 15th 2022, 9:26 AM

    @Fozz: yeah it’s a complete cod. The dogs on the street know that carrying cash is a big risk for a driver. Yet this article is claiming card payments are a cause for friction and therefore violence?

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    Mute Liam P Dunne
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    Sep 15th 2022, 12:06 PM

    @Ron: it’s a 200 euro fine so record their details and report report report crying online won’t change anything

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    Mute Anna Carr
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    Sep 15th 2022, 7:52 AM

    Honestly? I can’t blame them. I think we all know taxi driver friends who have been attacked and the horrible effect it has on them. It’s not right that some people think they are entitled to behave like that, or destroy the taxi with various bodily fluids. But, as always, due to the behaviour of some, the rest of us have to suffer the shortages. Very unfair to both sides.

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    Mute Paolo Fandango
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    Sep 15th 2022, 7:53 AM

    It’s certainly a dangerous job and Im very great full for the service. I’m also all for their recent fare increase.

    But, it’s pretty clear that taxi drivers are still miffed about having to take cards. Claiming that poor card machine signals create friction infers that not taking cash increases risk of violence. The machines use the same mobile network our phones use and let’s be honest, there are little to no signal blacknspots in Dublin City and suburbs.

    Also, Surely they should all be delighted as carrying less or no cash would reduce the risk of a robbery.

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    Mute Ciaran Tuomey
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    Sep 15th 2022, 11:41 AM

    @Paolo Fandango: the card companies visa etc take a chunk 15%

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    Mute David Burns
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    Sep 15th 2022, 12:47 PM

    @Ciaran Tuomey: Not 15%. Free now take 15% but card companies take up to 5% but normally around 2%

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    Mute Paolo Fandango
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    Sep 15th 2022, 8:00 PM

    @Ciaran Tuomey: let’s call a spade a spade. It’s to save on paying tax. Most if not all people in the world always want to find an angle to make an extra few bob. Or as my dad used to say: water finds the cracks.

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    Sep 17th 2022, 10:26 PM

    @David Burns: That is one thing about Free they are anything but free. They now charge taxi customers t pay for the e-scooter and e-bike system. Its all in the fine print.

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    Mute David Daly
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    Sep 15th 2022, 8:39 AM

    Ireland should have a dedicated fleet of taxis maybe on the New York style where taxis are not the drivers car & have screens to separate the passengers from the driver along with CCTV & other security measures.

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    Mute David Burns
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    Sep 15th 2022, 9:41 AM

    @David Daly: How would changing the name of the owner of the car stop the violence against the driver?

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    Mute Rob Hunt
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    Sep 15th 2022, 10:08 AM

    Freenow does a pre-auth on your card for an estimated amount which then changes depending on the final fare, why would the NTA not allow the same for standard taxi fares?

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    Sep 17th 2022, 10:30 PM

    They deregulation of the Taxi business was going to change everything they said. They were right, it has.
    It is still as hard to get a taxi, companies are creaming profits from passengers and the standard of driver and of service is horrific.
    I have a blind friend who guides the drivers to his house after a certain corner as they cant find it on their Google maps. Sounds mad but it is very true. I had one have to type in Dail Eireann to his phone. He did not how to get to it.
    Their used to be an exam and a tough one to become a taxi driver.

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