Taxi regulation

A few months ago, I got a taxi from Dublin City Centre back home to northside.

I was talking to the lovely fella, lets call him Tom, about the whole taxi regulation thing and striking. A strike was coming up that weekend and he said he wouldn't be attending. His reason was he felt it was uncalled for and that taxi drivers brought it upon themselves.

Tom had been a taxi driver when it was fully regulated. Back when you had to queue for 2 hours on a Friday or Saturday night in Dublin for a taxi. Back when you called for a taxi at 7am and at 8.30am you were ringing for the 4th time to be told it would still be 10mins. Something had to change and did.

These strikes and most people marching never care about the customers. They care about themselves. When it was regulated they minted it. The customers suffered but they didn't care. When it became easier to get a plate, the customer rejoiced as it was now a much better service. Prices went up over the last few years to compensate for loss of earnings but its easier than ever before to get a plate, that itself is wrong.

Tom told me he knew people who worked 3 or 4 days a week during full regulation and that kept the family going. If they were going on holidays or needed extra money for Christmas they would work 5 or 6 days. he knew drivers that had massive houses from 3 days work.

When the news of regulation was coming in, taxi unions and drivers were approached to agree on a way forward. They refused all proposals put before them and hence what we have today was put in place. The main idea mooted to them was that each taxi driver would be issued with another plate - each of them would have two plates. They could sell that plate onto anyone and double the amount of taxis in Dublin and elsewhere. Tom told me that lots of drivers liked that idea as it would help control the numbers. Lots didn't like it as it would mean they may have to work 5 days now to earn their keep. Taxi and union heads refused and so the regulation was opened up.

Tom left the taxi business and went on the building sites during the boom. He's now near retiring age and is back in the taxi game just for something to do. He works day time hours just to have some social interaction and to "keep out of the wife's hair". He has no sympathy for the current situation as he was saying it was too controlled with no proper rota system or care for customers. He felt the two-plate idea was great but his voice, and the voice of many colleagues, wasn't heard or listened to by those apparently representing them.

If they hadn't been so pig-headed before, things could be so different now.

Are stats always accurate? What do they really mean?

I get the dart to work each day. Today while departing the train I noticed a sign beside the door stating as follows (not word for work obviously):

During the 3rd quarter of 2007 99% of darts arrived on time and 96% of darts went to schedule. Now, is that 99% of the 96% or is there something amiss?

Also, went they say arrived on time is that arrived at the FINAL station on time or at all stations? The reason I ask this, is that each morning the dart is a different time. I've caught darts scheduled at 11:14 at 11:14, 11:15, 11:17 and 11:19. But it got to Bray on time which is the main thing. The 18:16 train left today at 18:18. See the thing is I get trains at middle stations in Raheny and Sydney Parade. Maybe people want the dart to arrive into Bray, Greystones, Malahide and Howth on time but couldn't care less about the middle stations. In my experience they are rarely bang on time so I really would love Irish Rail to explain their stats.

I know the German's wouldn't put up with this. It acutally reminds me of a story my sister told me about when she lived in Germany. She was at the bus stop outside Karlsruhe and was used to Irish traffic and buses (this is mid 90's as well). On the bus stop it states the time the bus will arrive at each bus stop (unlike Dublin where it tells you what time the bus leaves but nothing else). This is amazing. Anyhow, the bus was 3 minutes later than advertised. A women in her 50's boarded the bus and gave out to the driver for being late and he apologised (can't imagine Dublin bus drivers doing that).

He tried to explain that the road works held up the bus and still admitted he should have been on time. Amazing. Yet look at the crap we put up with in Ireland.

Anyone else notice this??

Oh, and I still blame unions ;)

Another Irish Rail Strike

I heard yesterday on the news (yes, I'm a bit behind everyone else) that an unofficial strike had been averted in Cork. However, services between Cork and Dublin and the commuter lines in Cork were affected by this strike. Yet again, it was the rail inspection and maintenance staff that caused this stoppage.

I ask - when will this crap stop? It was unofficial. No stoppage should have occurred. Why do the ordinary people suffer because of a disagreement between management and workers? Why is it that when people are in a union and have a gripe, rather than talking properly over the issue downing tools is their first action? And if deemed wrong NOTHING EVER happens them.

If this disruption was wrong I want to know what will happen the man who caused the problem. Why is it, that one man can cause trouble for 100's and get away with it? Why does his union back him? Answer: Unions in Ireland are weak ass bodies who do nothing at all expect cause people pain. Period.

Please, oh please something needs to be done to ensure that unofficial strikes and disruptions to people does not occur.

Irish Rail apologised for the inconvience caused. Nothing from the unions or the prick who caused the problem. I'm sure those affected who were late to meetings, late home, or had to fork out for taxis or other methods of transport are really grateful for the apology.

I hate unions.

Where the money REALLY goes

Did anyone else notice on page 6 of the Metro today (got it in Dublin).

Heading 1: Fares for Luas and Dart go up
Heading 2: Up to 3% pay rise (for civil and public service)

Is that not too much of a coincidence??

I honestly don't know how they can justify the raising of prices of the Luas and Dart when there has been no improving of the service that I can see. They are also raising the prices of Intercity trains. If they really are keen on getting more people using public transport then:

1) Increse the number of services and expect a loss in the first few years (do Irish Rail and Bus Eireann make a profit? If so, why? Surely they should just be a cost centre)
2) Lower the prices to make it more attractive for people to travel on public transport
3) Have more park and ride facilities
4) Maybe, and this is a novel idea, solicit people to see what they NEED.
5) Remove this stupid idea of having to get a CIE photo ID to buy monthly tickets. Why can't a drivers license or passport be enough?

I think the prices for the dart service are already over priced. To give an idea, I get a weekly return ticket from Raheny to Sydney Parade (about a 20 min train journey depending on the way the driver is feeling and the number of leaves on the track). This weekly ticket costs €16.50 and is going to go up. Yup, €16.50 for a max of 14 train journeys.

Now, in Sydney for $35 you get 7 days unlimited use of bus, rail and ferries within certain zones of the city. The zones for this ticket cover nearly everything you will need. Which seems the more value for money? Consider also that the trains in Sydney run AFTER midnight and at weekends trains are pretty much 24x7.

We in this country just bend over and take it.

The shee-ite heads that run public transport need to be beaten but I will make one more statement:

We will NEVER have a decent public transport system or health service while Unions are involved.