TRAFFIC WAS seriously disrupted in Waterford city centre yesterday due to a two-hour protest by taxi drivers over the lack of spaces for taxis in the city.
A convoy of about 80 drivers honked their horns and took over the streets of the city from 1pm, before a delegation of 50 drivers went to City Hall on The Mall to meet officials of Waterford City Council.
The protest followed an incident last week in which hundreds of people were left stranded at John Street and Parnell Street following a dispute between gardaí and taxi drivers.
Up to 30 taxis lined the ranks on John Street from about 10.30pm on Easter Saturday until after 3am on Sunday, leaving large groups of people without a means of getting home.
The stoppage happened after a garda issued a ticket to a taxi driver for alleged illegal parking at a taxi rank. Last Saturday's strike reignited ongoing action against local authorities because of the lack of space for taxis in the city.
National Taxi Drivers' Union spokesman Noel McLawrence yesterday said if the issue was not resolved, a three-hour stoppage would take place next week.
Waterford City Council senior executive engineer Billy Duggan said earlier this week that a taxi drivers' delegation had recently addressed a meeting of the council's strategic policy committee.
"They raised issues with us, and we are looking to see what we can do," said Mr Duggan.
Mr McLawrence said there were "thousands out on the middle of the road on a Saturday night and there are no facilities for people to queue and taxis can't get on the rank".
Waterford City councillor, John Halligan, whose brother is a taxi driver, said: "A blind man could see that up in the centre of the town, there are not enough spaces. Taxi drivers provide a great service in Waterford here."
