Lindsay Kopit encounters racism in the Irish taxi industry - from some drivers and passengers alike
‘Don’t get in any taxis with African drivers,” a group of teenage guys at Temple Bar warned us on our first night out in Dublin.
“They’ll overcharge you,” one of them said.
I stared as the boys nonchalantly sipped their Guinness, struck by the casual manner in which they spewed such racist insults. Their words irked me and I haven’t been able to shake them since I arrived in the city.
Recently, I also overheard one of the trainers at my gym speaking to his co-worker. “The black cab drivers, they’ll take you all over town before you get to your destination,” he said.
Other students in my study abroad programme have shared similar encounters with ignorant townspeople, misinformed co-workers, and even racist teachers.
The topic has been an ongoing conversation in my apartment, as we consider whether these comments are actually warranted.
Student Martha Meiers has gotten in taxis with both black and Irish drivers.
“I mean, I’ve taken cabs with black drivers since I’ve been here. One of them drove really slowly when no one was on the road. But then again, I also had an Irish taxi driver once who drove me around in circles. I don’t know if it has anything to do with race,” she said.
After hearing countless rumours about black taxi drivers, one student on my study-abroad programme has chosen to simply avoid them altogether.
“I know it’s racist, but I just feel safer taking a taxi with an Irish driver,” she said. “Especially at night. I mean, I’ve heard some of them aren’t even licensed. Apparently you can just buy one of those plates.”
In fact, all taxi drivers in Ireland must go through a comprehensive examination and authorisation before obtaining a Small Public Service Vehicle (SPSV) license.
Instructions to becoming a licensed SPSV driver are clearly outlined in the National Transport Authority’s (NTA) website (taxi.ie). To obtain this license, all drivers must pass both parts of an entry test – which costs €86.10 to take. The first part is comprehensive, requiring an understanding of SPSV regulations, map reading, and proper fares and charges, while the second part demands a mastery of area knowledge of the county in which the driver will operate their vehicle.
Once the driver passes the exam, they must pay a €250 fee for the license. Finally, they must submit their application to the local Garda station and wait for it to be processed.
“The authority takes any incidences of discrimination extremely seriously and refers all such matters to the authorities with the power to investigate such complaints, ie An Garda Síochána or the Equality Authority,” said the NTA’s head of public affairs Sara Morris.
The NTA maintains that it does not tolerate racism from drivers or passengers alike. However, racist perceptions about black taxi drivers prevail as Irish drivers utter misinformation.
“They just don’t know their way around the city. They’ll take ya the long way. Just stick with the locals,” one Irish taxi driver at the rank on O’Connell Street said.
Not unlike the boys at Temple Bar, this man exuded confidence as he lied. “I know how it works,” he said. “One black guy goes in and takes it [the test] for all his friends. They all look the same anyway.”
I stood stunned, offended, and nauseated at the ignorance I just witnessed – although others are less disturbed.
“You have to understand, [white Irish people have] really only been exposed to black people in the last decade,” said study abroad student Caleigh O’Brien. “It’s a new thing for them. It’s going to take time.”
- Tackling racism not only in the taxi industry but across the capital’s public transport services is the aim of the campaign launched in March this year under the heading ‘Transport Links, Racism Divides.
The NTA is working alongside the Immigrant Council of Ireland, Dublin Bus, Irish Rail, Luas, Dart, Veolia and Dublin City Council in this initiative to combat racism in the workplace.
An e-mail address has also been created for witness or victims to report racist attacks – send messages to stopracism
@immigrantcouncil.ie.
