Councillor Kenneth O’Flynn has called on the Taxi Regulator to crack down on blatant breaches of the Taxi regulations.

“For the last number of weeks I have been receiving complaints that we have;

People driving taxi’s who don’t’ have full driving licenses

Drivers in procession of false taxi registration document;

Drivers using false tax and insurance documents;

Cases where one driver has full driving licenses a taxi license but who has three other drivers with neither.”

“If even half the complaints that have been brought to my attention are true, then we have a situation in Cork, where the system of regulation has broken down” he continued “ I have been told by a number of people that in some cases they no longer feel safe getting into taxi because of some of the drivers.”

Councilor O’Flynn called for the immediate appointment of a full time inspector for Cork to ensure that the taxi regulations are being observed, and that welfare of passengers is assured.

Councilor O’Flynn also said that if the Taxi Regulator failed to do their job, then the office and the Agency should be abolished. “ It is obvious that what happened at Anglo-Irish bank happened because the Financial Regulator was asleep at the wheel, I sincerely hope that we do not have another state regulator asleep at the wheel. The Taxi Regulator is supposed to enforce the regulations not just produce glossy reports and snazzy websites, we need action now, or the first public sector cut I will be advocating is the closure of the Taxi regulators office.