It seems that a majority of taxi drivers are against the recent increase in fares imposed by the Taxi Regulator, Kathleen Doyle.
The matter was hotly discussed on Liveline during the week but despite numerous contacts from RTE the regulator refused to discuss the matter on air.
Ms. Doyle’s press office is as far as RTE got before being contemptuously pawned off to a public relations company. This is the modern day equivalent of asking the peasants to use the workman’s entrance.
Ms. Doyle is a public servant and therefore, in theory, should be accountable to consumers. There has been a disturbing tendency in recent times for people like Ms. Doyle to adopt a certain royal distance from the great unwashed.
When public servants adopt such arrogant attitudes consumers are entitled to form their own conclusions. Here’s how I imagine Ms. Doyle would address the general peasantry if she ever deigned to dismount from her high horse.
Dear Peasants,
I have been elevated to a position of great importance and therefore feel it is entirely inappropriate that I should deal directly with ordinary people.
I have therefore, at great expense to you, employed a public relations company to deal with all awkward questions from an impertinent media. All questions of a suitably respectful and non awkward nature will be dealt with by my underlings – eventually.
Of course, I do acknowledge and indeed, on rare occasions, feel a degree of gratitude, that my high status, large pay packet, very generous expenses and myriad other perks are all paid for out of your meagre resources.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you the very best of luck in your struggles during the coming economic depression.
I would ask you not to worry too much about my prospects as I am guaranteed regular pay rises, total job security and a very generous pension on completion of my reign.
Yours etc.
(Note to private secretary: Make sure that fellow Duffy gets a copy, it might keep him quiet)
Copy to:
Taxi Regulator
Liveline
You remember just a few short years ago the state could not find anybody to occupy the position of Taxi Regulator, Then after a long search and playing around with the salary figures to attract someone, Gerr Deering arrived. What ever you say about him as a regulator “face to face meetings with Taxi drivers was encouraged. Anyway Gerr soon saw it as a thankless dead end Job and ran. The state seeing the problems in finding a New applicant appointed mere office manager to the job temporary. Can you imagine an office manager appointed regulator of any other major industry? Can you imagine it from her point of view, all her birthdays came at once. In short she is simply not qualified enough to do the job and the fact that she is afraid to talk face to face with the Taxi industry just shows how unsuited she is to the job. The is a women out of her depth and like Staution as Ireland Manager”making a bags of the whole thing.. Visit me at http://taxieire.lefora.com