Mr. Jim Waldron:

Addressing Deputy O’Rourke’s point, the bigger fear for me is that of people being driven out of the industry. There is also the fear of those who hang on in the industry for as long as they can. They will be putting themselves into very significant debt and will be working enormously long hours that will be putting their own lives - I keep emphasising this - and those of their passengers at risk. We have to take this on board. People do not have the opportunity to walk out of a taxi driver’s job into another job. During the Covid-19 period many people did that and found that it was quite good for them and they stayed in these jobs. That is why we are down 2,000 drivers. Those opportunities are beginning to fall away and perhaps people want to be taxi drivers but they are being forced not to be one. I keep emphasising that it is the health and welfare of ourselves and our passengers that we are concerned about.