Taxi Regulator withdraws inspectors as need to keep streets safe stressed

The Taxi Regulator pulled a number of inspectors out of Athlone over the weekend in a bid to keep the taxis on the road and keep the streets safe, the Westmeath Independent has learned this week. Chairman of the Athlone Branch of the Taxi Federation Paddy O"Callaghan said the Regulator had planned to have inspectors in the town over the entire weekend, but after he spoke to the Chief Inspector on Friday about safety issues in light of the recent attacks on women, the Regulator agreed to take the inspectors out of the town for now. Five drivers were fined on Thursday night after they were found to be parked illegally, in that they picked up calls from the street rather than from a taxi rank. 'I spoke to the chief enforcement officer and he said enforcement officers were down for the weekend. I asked him to leave because of the attacks and he did,' he said. While the Commission for Taxi Regulation was not in a position to comment on its enforcement activity in the town last Thursday night, it confirmed that 'taxis found to be standing or plying for hire at a point other than a taxi rank are subject to a €250 fixed charge penalty or a prosecution'. The Taxi Regulator would not confirm how many such fines had been levied elsewhere in the country, or whether it had been acting on complaints in Athlone. Taxi drivers are arguing that the shortage of taxi rank places in Athlone town centre at night has given them little option but to park outside night clubs and pubs - and they have said there was a demand from the public in the wake of the Athlone attacks to have taxis outside such premises. Mr O"Callaghan said this week that while the timing of the spot checks was unfortunate given the recent attacks, the inspectors were only doing their job and said the Taxi Regulator was there to protect taxi drivers and customers alike. He condemned action taken by a number of taxi drivers during the early hours of Friday morning when they parked their cars on Church Street refusing to pick up passengers from the street. 'The action taken on Thursday night was regrettable. It put women in Athlone in harm"s way. It was a bad attitude to do this,' he said. He said the best way to resolve issues was democratically and said the Taxi Federation had sought a meeting with Athlone Town Council regarding the lack of taxi ranks in the town, which would help address the problem of illegal parking by taxi drivers. One Athlone taxi driver Derek Chambers said the action taken on Thursday night/Friday morning was not taken on behalf of the Taxi Federation and said the taxi drivers involved had informed both the Taxi Regulator and the Gardai in advance that they were taking the action. He said while the taxi drivers parked their cars and were not taking fares off the street they were taking bookings over the phone. He said the safety of customers was a priority for the taxi drivers and said: 'The attacks are a big thing, the last thing we want is to see girls and fellas walking anywhere on their own.' Mr Chambers said the drivers had asked the Regulator for time to sort out the issue of taxi ranks with the council and said one driver who had earned just €65 last Thursday night was then faced with a fine of €250. He added that it wasn"t feasible for taxi drivers to keep driving around and said more ranks were needed for the 170 taxi drivers in the town. Mr Chambers was one of a number of taxi drivers who participated in a protest through the streets of Athlone on Friday afternoon. Mr O"Callaghan said that he was pleased that so many taxi drivers had taken part in a protest on Friday afternoon, where they drove en masse through the streets of the town. He said this type of action was supported by the Federation, rather than the action taken on Thursday night/Friday morning. 'We wouldn"t agree with that stance, we have to put people first,' he said. He said any action taken by taxi drivers had to be organised and thought out, rather than wildcard action. He added that while the council was considering their calls for extra ranks in the town he hoped an interim measure, such as turning loading bays into night-time taxi ranks, could be put in place. Town Clerk John Walsh said yesterday (Tuesday) that the council was undertaking a review of taxi ranks in the town after a meeting with representatives of the taxi drivers in recent weeks. He said there had been a taxi rank on the west side of town near the Garda barracks, but it had returned to parking spaces because it wasn"t being used by taxi drivers. The area was still legally a taxi rank and could be reversed back to a rank, Mr Walsh explained, but added that the review, which was being carried out by the Town Engineer, would determine whether this was the most appropriate place for a westside taxi rank. Church Street - the only taxi rank used late at night Golden Island - serves shoppers but obsolete at night Train Station - pick-up point for travellers, but again obsolete at night St Mary"s Place - this taxi rank disappeared after development took place in the area Pearse Street - this rank became parking spaces as it wasn"t used by taxi drivers AIT - this taxi rank was also dispersed with to make way for parking spaces