Letterkenny council meets taxi drivers

A deputation from the Letterkenny Taxi Owners Association has urged the local town council to intercede with the Taxi regulator on their behalf in a bid to ease a stand off which they say threatens to escalate into a major national dispute.
The taxi owners claim that new regulations and rules being introduced by the regulator will drive them out of business, including a rule that no car over 9 years old can be used as a taxi. The drivers say that passing the NCT should be sufficient.
A number of local issues were also raised, including an increase in the number of tickets being issued by gardai in the town, and the use by some drivers of the disabled bays outside the bus station, which the association says is compromising the new rank across the road.
Cllr Dessie Larkin says he believes the regulator has a Dublin focus, and there should be individual regulators for each county.
Members agreed to contact the regulator, and also outlined a number of issues they want the taxi owners to address, including a commitment that passengers will only be picked up at designated taxi ranks.
The two sides will meet again in the coming weeks.