All taxi drivers should have to do the advanced driving test also & have a basic knowledge of the towns & cities they are working in.

and with some of these cowboys ya get more “extras” than any John Wayne movie

pog mo thoine: you might want to learn how to spell. Also I’d appreciate if you toned down the racism overtones.

The gardai already have the power and authority to refuse or cancel a taxi licence and they do do it. Only problem is that the applicant then appeals the decision to the regulator who are afraid to refuse it and issue one.

There is already a knowledge test for the county in which the taxi drivers will be working in.

It would be unrealistic for taxi drivers to have great knowledge of towns, unless you call your local cab company.

Complaint from taxi drivers is people assume they know the way to your house, when even you can get your left and right mixed up, after a few drinks.

@leo,………

Agreed Hank. This sounds like a win for the legitimate cabbies, the public and the exchequer (assuming illegal non-tax compliant taxis are clamped down on too). If it ticks all the boxes I’d hope it gets cross-party support.

Why would you want to track the cab you are already in?

2 reasons :

1. If something goes wrong the company / Gardaí know where my last whereabouts were.

2. I’d sleep better when my daughter is out for the night for the same reasons as my first point.

You assume that all taxis belong to a company?

If you can’t sleep well enough knowing your daughter is out getting taxis, I suggest you reassess how she gets home.

How would they know what taxi you got into to check the GPS? Maybe you need the GPS on you?

I completely agree John, all taxi’s should be legally required to have GPS installed.

Neuromancer – Your last comment makes no sense at all.

Sorry, my last comment should have said all taxi’s should be legally required to have GPS tracking installed, not just GPS.

So all taxis should have GPS trackers? Why? So if someone goes missing they can see where the taxi was?

This is assuming the person who went missing or whatever actually got into a taxi.

While there are some dodgy taxi drivers out there, it’s an equally fair blame on a punter who gets into a taxi drunk out of their minds and has no idea where they are or what they are doing.

If people feel uneasy about getting into taxis, perhaps it’s best to use a reputable cab company, or call a friend.

This isn’t about dodgy taxi drivers, it’s just simply logic. GPS tracking is relatively inexpensive and gives added security to both the customer AND the driver. In fact they should all be legally required to have camera’s in their cabs too.

I think a better question would be to ask why you seem to be so against it.

All the thumbs up suggest I’m right and you are an idiot !! My daughter is 25 and as I can’t follower her everywhere nor would I want to?? Just peace of mind when she’s out with friends so no reassessing there what ever that means you are clearly a taxi driver …..

Nothing suggests I’m and idiot, people just don’t see me view, and why would they, they are not taxi drivers. But one time I was a taxi driver.

It’s all well and good to suggest trackers, but these would have to be paid for, and maintained with monthly payments. CCTV is great for customers if its turned on by the drivers, and great for driver security too.

Of course the GPS tracker would have to be paid for! Does a carpenter not pay for his tools? The only difference is that any half decent phone these days has the ability to be a GPS tracker.

And then this maintained with monthly payments craic. Sorry but this is the typical of the bull the taxi drivers union spits out when any sort of change is suggested. There is absolutely nothing to say that there would be monthly payments or maintenance fees if GPS tracking was implemented. Hailo cabs are doing it already.

In the age that we are living in this type of technology is so affordable and useful it should be mandatory. There is absolutely no valid argument against it.

I can smell the ignorance off you.

You want drivers having a phone used as a GPS tracker, which magically uses no credit/data whatsoever. For the sole purpose of showing their whereabouts when working so precious passengers are safe.

Hailo use this service already, yeah, so they can be located for business purposes and they get money. What about those drivers not with Hailo or another cab company?

Haaaaaa, excellent. “Busy tonight?…. Oh, I see you have been rather busy in the past…. common assault was it?”

It can be rough at times I know a good few taxi drivers and the storys they do tell are nearly unbelievable

Eileen, there is already a screening process. This is a more enhanced version.

The one big flaw with this is that it doesn’t take into account non-national drivers. The police, as far as I know, have no way of checking the backrounds of those folks.

Thanks Joseph ,
I think the same goes for any jobs when people are coming into this country un vetted !!!

So you would feel comfortable with your wife or girlfriend or daughter being driven around by a former rapist/sex offender?

Under the current system you can be convicted of rape and still be issued a licence. That’s a fcuking unsavour characteristic

Years ago, I actually had a taxi driver in Dublin ask me, in a threatening way: “How do you know I’m not a rapist?”. I think the conversation that I endured with this ‘unsavoury character’ may have been avoided had there been proper vetting, as outlined above. Needless to say I made a hasty exit from his taxi – at a false address so he wouldn’t know where I lived – and reported him. Is this what women should have to put up with so some ‘poor chap’ can keep his taxi license?

Further repressing criminals? I hope that’s a joke Paul.

If you have aspirations of becoming a taxi driver, don’t become a criminal. Simple.

I had a similar experience, got into a taxi on a mid week night from town to the northside and had the taxi man ask me did I not pull that night? Felt completely uncomfortable and even more disgusted when. He asked me would I consider a 3 some with himself and his girlfriend! Shocked is not the word! Be safe guys and girls.

It’s not like someone keeps their taxi in the living room!