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A SINN FÉIN TD has criticised the fact taxi drivers have to display decals on the side of their cars, saying the signs act as a magnet for thieves.
Dessie Ellis raised the issue with Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe in the Dáil recently.
Rules introduced in 2013 mean that drivers run the risk of being fined if they don’t have decals on the side of their car.
Ellis said the signs were “hailed as a security measure to stamp out rogue taxis operating without a proper licence and to give confidence to passengers, but they have done neither”.
“It is important that prospective customers can tell that a car driving by is a taxi for hire, but a taxi driver cannot now use their car in any private circumstance without people assuming that they are plying for hire,” Ellis said.
“In the past, taxi drivers were able to remove their signage and place it in the boot or elsewhere and drive their car on their day off or on holidays as a private car. They were able to park up in towns or at their home and not be seen from a distance to be a taxi. To some, this might not seem important but for those who make their living as a taxi driver it is crucial for safety and comfort,” the Dublin North–West TD told the Dáil.
Donohoe said taxi regulations are a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA), noting: “As such I have no function in this matter.”
The minister pointed out that the taxi signage riles make it “more difficult for vehicles to operate illegally as taxis.”
“As the door signage is semi-permanent, the vehicle is still identifiable as a purported taxi even when the roof sign is removed, which was not the case previously,” he said.
A spokesperson for the NTA said the authority “has no records to substantiate crime arising from taxi identification by prescribed branding or tamper proof discs”.
Taxi drivers
David McGuinness of Tiomanaí Tacsaí na hÉireann (TTnH) said the group brought the issue to the attention of then junior transport minister Alan Kelly about a year ago.
McGuinness said there has been “a huge increase” in taxi break-ins recently. He said this isn’t entirely down to decals, but claimed they have played a role as “our cars now are identifiable”.
He said TTnH has urged its 2,500 or so members to not leave valuables or a float in the car where possible.
TheJournal.ie stopped by the taxi rank at Stephen’s Green in Dublin city centre to find out what drivers think.
Shane Lennon told us he only got his taxi back a few days ago, after it was stolen from outside his house last month.
Enough said … It was taken because it is a taxi and it is easily-identifiable as a taxi. The meter was ripped out, the decals were ripped off, they put in a new ignition. Bits and bobs, you know.
Lennon, who has been working as a taxi driver for six years, said he doesn’t believe his car would have been stolen if it wasn’t clear it was a taxi.
“The guards were absolutely brilliant, I have to say, from start to finish,” he noted.
Lennon said his roof sign was stolen a few months ago, so he doesn’t leave it on at night anymore.
“It’s just one of those things. There are scumbags out robbing houses as well, they shouldn’t be doing that either.”
Karl Dowling, who has worked as a driver since 2003, said decals were meant to stop people from double-jobbing, but he claims they have failed in this regard.
The idea of the thing in the first place was to cut out all the double-jobbers, I don’t see that’s working.
He added that it costs about €80 to put on a decal and it “devalues the car”.
Another driver, who didn’t want to be named, said a friend of his was targetted by a gang of thieves at his house last week. He said a group of men tried to break into his friend’s taxi but ran off when he called the gardaí.
He too thinks taxis are more of a target than other cars.
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What a negative headline!There is a lot of good news in this article,reflecting the hard work done in these DEIS schools.But of course the headline just addresses the negative part!
Headline also suggests that living in an urban area is universally detrimental to educational attainment when in fact the article only refers to urban deis schools and as ailish pointed out above, the article highlights significant improvements in English and maths within those schools.
Sorry, as Aileen pointed out.
Typo in headline
“Urban pupils are more worser* at English and maths”
A neighbour of mine would tell you he supplies food to the canteen in one of these Deis school. He tell you nothing best is supplied. No expense is spared apparently. Even fizzy drinks is supplied on occasion. Compare this to where my children go to school in a small country school. The only food they get is what we send them with them in their lunchbox. Who the worst off and there was me thinking all children are suspose to be treated equally under the constitution.
Sure when I went to school we got nothing at all, walked there barefoot at 6 in the morning. Would be lucky to grab a mouthful of chalk dust at lunch time. We got some learnin’ done
“Mouthful of chalk dust”
I cried laughing after reading that.
What’s that got to do with reading?
Parental income has much less to do with the standard of education a child recieves than parental involvement. How many of the kids struggling to read do you think have a parent that reads to them? Its time for these parents to take responsibility for their kids.
The 22:1 ratio is an error in the article. This only applies up to first or second class I believe after which the 22:1 ratio is classed as a desirable ratio but not enforceable. As such you can have classes(3rd,4th,5th,6th)in Deis I schools with 23-36 children in them.
Are Ya bleedin jokin me ?
I don’t think he is langer boyyyyyy.
That’s why so many country folk are the dubs bosses in the city.as the old saying goes …what does a dub call a country person at work????
Boss
Plenty of jobs at the Journal for the ones who have spelling difficulties in the future.
Worser…….is this a word???
Used to be in the 16th century
Think it’s supposed to be play on words Claire!!
I went to a rural DEIS primary school, our class size was 33-37.
These ratios are a new enough rule.
I went to a deis school in rural Ireland, I did ok but it was an uphill battle, the school was underfunded and understaffed. chronic unemployment/underemployment means children in disadvantaged areas are less motivated as it is unlikely they will have the money for third level even if they get the grades.
generational poverty also causes a lot of these problems, its called a poverty trap for a reason
We live in a city and drive our daughter six miles out the road to go to school. A bit of a trek and hits the pocket a bit more. But smaller classes, a higher standard or education, and you know that the child is mixing with people of good stock.
“Mixing with people of good stock” that comment says a lot about you as a person. Hopefully your children won’t grow up with such a ridiculous attitude.
All education correspondents seem to take for granted that the DES claim that literacy and numeracy levels have risen due to its campaign of recent years is valid. There is insufficient evidence supporting this claim.
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