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Austerity Measures, the Right to Work and Racism: the Galway Taxi Industry

Dr Vinodh Jaichand

Deputy Director, Irish Centre for Human Rights

1 July 2011

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Press reports, gratuitous usage of race and nationality: stereo-typing & generalisations

• “Grealish calls for taxi insurance scam to be stamped out… most of whom are foreign nationals” 1 former taxi driver convicted.

• “new applicants with foreign driving licences be required to undergo the normal driving test to acquire an Irish driving licence” Who?

• “…If they are driving illegally they are probably in the country illegally as well…”

• if my teenage daughter or son is getting a taxi home some night, I’m happy in the knowledge that they are going to get home safe

• No race/nationality, Irish person? “A taxi driver charged with 28 counts of sexually assaulting two children is to face trial later this year”

Responses of the White Taxi Drivers

• “Black drivers are not employed because they have bad reputations, they charge much, they rape women and companies are right not to employ them.”

• “Everybody knows that the taxi licence is subsidised by the government as foreign drivers could not afford it. Blacks destroyed the business.”

• “Foreign nationals should be asked to go home so Irish drivers can make a living. They should not get taxi plates.”

• “Non-nationals and refugees have ruined the country…it has to stop.”

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Reports from African taxi drivers

• A customer placed the taxi fare on the seat of the taxi and told the driver to keep the change because they would prefer not to touch black skin.

•  No Galway taxi company employs Africans- may in cases Polish, Chinese or Czech.

• “A passenger refused to pay, the Gardai were called and the Gardai said it was not their job to get taxi fares.”

• An African driver had picked up an Irish woman when an Irish driver stopped car, went to passenger’s window and told the passenger to get out of the car for her own personal safety. Passenger refused.

 

Passenger preferences

46% of passengers advised not to take taxis driven by Africans

Conclusions

• White drivers joined the industry in the last 5 years: Changed economic climate-building boom over.

• Spreading message to captive customers and wider public appealing to support Irish taxi industry through their spirit of nationalism.

• Only 4% saw African drivers as a threat to their jobs while 96% referred to systemic issues in the taxi industry.

• Attempt self-regulation & thinly disguised inherent qualifications of being a taxi driver. Ignore Taxi Regulators’ guidelines.

• Need for effective laws for Gardai: public order offences

• Full report www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights