LAST UPDATE | 1 hr ago

TAXI DRIVERS IRELAND has suspended plans for a six-day “national shutdown protest” pending a meeting at Government Buildings next week.

The “shutdown” had been due to begin on Monday as part of further protests against fixed fares brought in by Uber and wider issues concerning the industry. 

However, it was announced this afternoon that the protest has been suspended “pending the outcome of a meeting at Government Buildings scheduled for next week”.

Taxi Drivers Ireland added that “all protest activity will be paused while engagement with Government takes place”.

The national spokesperson for Taxi Drivers Ireland, Derek O’Keeffe, said the group is “acting in good faith”.

“Pending the outcome of next week’s meeting, we have suspended further protest action and hope meaningful progress will be made on the issues facing taxi drivers.”

He added that the “suspension is temporary and subject to the outcome of the meeting”.

Protests

Taxi drivers have already taken part in a number of protests over the past few weeks, particularly in Dublin.

O’Keeffe has accused the government of ignoring the “industry crisis” and failing to take any meaningful action to address it.

Late last night, O’Keeffe said Government “has chosen silence instead of responsibility” and that in response, the Irish taxi industry is “going up a gear”.

That would have involved a “shutdown” beginning on Monday 8 December through to Saturday 13 December.

On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, drivers were due to protest at 7am at Mountjoy Square to Merrion Square, where it was planned for vehicles to “proceed in convoy” and remain parked until 5pm.

On Tuesday and Thursday, drivers were due to protest from 4.30pm to 7.30pm at Dublin Airport in “all holding areas and access locations outside of airport grounds”.

On Saturday, the protest would have taken place at Dublin Airport from 4pm to 6pm, followed by a “rolling convoy from the North and South proceeding into the city centre, entering Dame Street for a slow rolling protest”.

O’Keeffe last night said that the now-suspended protest amounted to “drivers standing up not just for themselves, but for the future of public transport in Ireland.

“We do not want protests. We want to work. But we will not quietly accept the destruction of our livelihoods.

“If the Government thinks this will blow over, they are badly mistaken,” he added.