Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There was a terrible free-for-all for taxis in the sense that we went from one extreme to another. Previously the availability of licence plates was extremely restricted but this changed to a regime in which almost anybody could get a licence plate or, as the Chairman noted, multiple plates. Is there any evidence to suggest that the number of taxis on the road in Dublin is declining? It would be useful if the numbers declined because serious problems arise in terms of taxis accessing ranks. Deputy Eoghan Murphy referred to the issue of racism, which is to some extent sparked by the economic pressures on people who are trying to earn a living from driving a taxi.