Mary, when I was in school I was always told there are 32 counties in Ireland.
I,m sick of being told that people shopping up north are unpatriotic by Fianna Failers.
The government has contracted companies up there to provide quangoservices, moyah as part of their contribution to the Peace process, in reality it,s because the wages are lower.
I wonder will Minister Dempsey act in a totally patriotic manner when it comes to sacrificing more jobs from Aer Lingus?
BTW i,m in the private sector, and it,s about time this government were stood up to, maybe next time the unions could possibly persuade the private sector to go out with them.
They should ask their social partners IBEC to sanction their staff participating in the next day of protest.
Regards
John Fitzpatrick
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Secret report
Dear Ms Doyle
I would appreciate if you could forward me a copy of the PA Consulting report titled Review of the National Maximum Taxi Fare, October 2008, along with the terms of reference required to produce this report.
I understand you might deem this report confidential on the basis that it is commercially sensitive.
As an Irish taxi operator, I believe that I am entitled to see the report to analyse and understand why my fares are set at the current rates. As I am part of the industry I should not be excluded from analysing this report, as I can assure you any commercially sensitive information contained in the report will remain confidential.
Regards
John Fitzpatrick
I would appreciate if you could forward me a copy of the PA Consulting report titled Review of the National Maximum Taxi Fare, October 2008, along with the terms of reference required to produce this report.
I understand you might deem this report confidential on the basis that it is commercially sensitive.
As an Irish taxi operator, I believe that I am entitled to see the report to analyse and understand why my fares are set at the current rates. As I am part of the industry I should not be excluded from analysing this report, as I can assure you any commercially sensitive information contained in the report will remain confidential.
Regards
John Fitzpatrick
To the Minister for Transport
Dear Minister Dempsey
I understand you appoint people to the Taxi Advisory council.
I would like to ask, why, only groups with vested interests, are included, while the vast majority of Independent Taxi Operators are deprived of the opportunity to participate in this process.
Yours sincerely
John Fitzpatrick
I understand you appoint people to the Taxi Advisory council.
I would like to ask, why, only groups with vested interests, are included, while the vast majority of Independent Taxi Operators are deprived of the opportunity to participate in this process.
Yours sincerely
John Fitzpatrick
The office of the Taxi Commission
Ms Kathleen Doyle
Commission for Taxi Regulation
35 Fitzwilliam Square,
Dublin 2.
Dear Ms Doyle
I feel I have to object to a comment you made to the Transport committee in an attempt to dismiss concerns about driver fatigue being suffered by taxi drivers in Ireland today. In particular where you state they are resting when they are on taxi ranks. My experience is that taxi driving has become the most stressful job that I have ever experienced. The number of jobs I’ve had are substantial and quite varied ranging from the clothing manufacturing trade, to building sites, Lorry driving, scrap metal yard, demolition, car dismantling, and as the managing director of a soft furnishings manufacturing company for fifteen years.
Never have any of those jobs measured up to anywhere near the same levels of stress and anxiety levels that I suffer every day driving a taxi.Regarding us resting at taxi ranks. If I could get on to a taxi rank I would have time to rest, you are waiting that long for a job, but the real reality is, I can’t get on to taxi ranks, and on the odd occasion that I do I spend my time almost fretting for the car in front of me to get a passenger so that my time queuing is nearly up. I watch the body language of people walking around the rank trying to determine who is headed for the first car. I constantly check the radio to try to determine if there is work in a different area. I use a mobile data terminal which means I can’t move away from the car, in case I miss a radio job, which means in reality I can’t even stretch my legs. I am basically in my car from the time I start until the time I park it outside my home.
When I can’t get on to a rank I spend my time driving around from area to area checking the radio, watching out for potential passengers on the streets and a new hazard I have to watch out for is the Gardai, in case I pull in at the wrong place, or forget to indicate, or some other infringements of the rules of the road, which can land me with a hefty fine.
I know you can not do anything about the lack of rank spaces or the attitude of the Gardai, but you should be much more knowledgeable when you speak about a serious issue like taxi driver fatigue. It’s not just simple tiredness, it’s also the stress and anxiety that taxi drivers suffer every day are affecting our health.
I know some people constantly say if it’s so bad then get out, the facts are I can’t. I owe too much money in respect of my investment in what I thought was a stable industry, thus I will have to suffer my stress levels adversely affecting my health.
I don’t have the luxury of limited liability which would allow me to liquidate the company and its assets (an issue I addressed to your predecessor, but alas to no avail) and then I could walk away and leave the debts behind without any worries.
I would also qualify for a Social Welfare payment. None of these options are available to me as a small business operator in Ireland of 2009.I trust you will treat the issue of driver fatigue and stress with a bit more concern for those of us that are suffering from it every day.
Another concern is your statement that the drivers are not availing of the opportunities available to us, in relation to affiliating to despatch companies. I’ve always been a customer of a despatch company and presently I am with the largest despatch company in Ireland. This company constantly uses a very expensive and extensive advertising campaign, national television and radio ads, billboard ads, bus advertising, leaflet drops, key rings, etc, all in an attempt to get more passengers for the drivers. Some of the other larger companies are doing the same. If they needed more drivers, then why would they bother to spend huge sums of money trying to attract more passengers? The fact is they need more passengers not drivers.
Again I trust you will reconsider your opinions on this matter. The facts are, we are all trying as hard as we can.
The last issue I would like to raise with you is the cost of a taxi licence. Justice Murphy’s judgement removing the entry barriers stated that local councils could only charge an administration fee of £100 for the issue of a taxi licence, and he ordered that all wheelchair taxi owners to be refunded any sum over that amount they had paid.
Can you tell me why the commission is allowed to ignore this ruling when the local authorities had to abide by it?
Regards
John Fitzpatrick
Commission for Taxi Regulation
35 Fitzwilliam Square,
Dublin 2.
Dear Ms Doyle
I feel I have to object to a comment you made to the Transport committee in an attempt to dismiss concerns about driver fatigue being suffered by taxi drivers in Ireland today. In particular where you state they are resting when they are on taxi ranks. My experience is that taxi driving has become the most stressful job that I have ever experienced. The number of jobs I’ve had are substantial and quite varied ranging from the clothing manufacturing trade, to building sites, Lorry driving, scrap metal yard, demolition, car dismantling, and as the managing director of a soft furnishings manufacturing company for fifteen years.
Never have any of those jobs measured up to anywhere near the same levels of stress and anxiety levels that I suffer every day driving a taxi.Regarding us resting at taxi ranks. If I could get on to a taxi rank I would have time to rest, you are waiting that long for a job, but the real reality is, I can’t get on to taxi ranks, and on the odd occasion that I do I spend my time almost fretting for the car in front of me to get a passenger so that my time queuing is nearly up. I watch the body language of people walking around the rank trying to determine who is headed for the first car. I constantly check the radio to try to determine if there is work in a different area. I use a mobile data terminal which means I can’t move away from the car, in case I miss a radio job, which means in reality I can’t even stretch my legs. I am basically in my car from the time I start until the time I park it outside my home.
When I can’t get on to a rank I spend my time driving around from area to area checking the radio, watching out for potential passengers on the streets and a new hazard I have to watch out for is the Gardai, in case I pull in at the wrong place, or forget to indicate, or some other infringements of the rules of the road, which can land me with a hefty fine.
I know you can not do anything about the lack of rank spaces or the attitude of the Gardai, but you should be much more knowledgeable when you speak about a serious issue like taxi driver fatigue. It’s not just simple tiredness, it’s also the stress and anxiety that taxi drivers suffer every day are affecting our health.
I know some people constantly say if it’s so bad then get out, the facts are I can’t. I owe too much money in respect of my investment in what I thought was a stable industry, thus I will have to suffer my stress levels adversely affecting my health.
I don’t have the luxury of limited liability which would allow me to liquidate the company and its assets (an issue I addressed to your predecessor, but alas to no avail) and then I could walk away and leave the debts behind without any worries.
I would also qualify for a Social Welfare payment. None of these options are available to me as a small business operator in Ireland of 2009.I trust you will treat the issue of driver fatigue and stress with a bit more concern for those of us that are suffering from it every day.
Another concern is your statement that the drivers are not availing of the opportunities available to us, in relation to affiliating to despatch companies. I’ve always been a customer of a despatch company and presently I am with the largest despatch company in Ireland. This company constantly uses a very expensive and extensive advertising campaign, national television and radio ads, billboard ads, bus advertising, leaflet drops, key rings, etc, all in an attempt to get more passengers for the drivers. Some of the other larger companies are doing the same. If they needed more drivers, then why would they bother to spend huge sums of money trying to attract more passengers? The fact is they need more passengers not drivers.
Again I trust you will reconsider your opinions on this matter. The facts are, we are all trying as hard as we can.
The last issue I would like to raise with you is the cost of a taxi licence. Justice Murphy’s judgement removing the entry barriers stated that local councils could only charge an administration fee of £100 for the issue of a taxi licence, and he ordered that all wheelchair taxi owners to be refunded any sum over that amount they had paid.
Can you tell me why the commission is allowed to ignore this ruling when the local authorities had to abide by it?
Regards
John Fitzpatrick
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