A reduction in red tape will see more taxis on our streets according to one local driver. Johnny Nevin, of Nevin's Taxis says the process for becoming a taxi driver has not changed with the times and is overly regulated. He says this is a key factor in the reduction of taxi drivers across the Shannonside region along with the violence faced by drivers. The National Private Hire Taxi Association have called for Assaults on taxi drivers to be treated as an attack on front line workers.
The organisation say many attackers are given suspended sentences following assaults, which offers little to no deterrent for future offences. Nevin's Taxis operate across the midlands and are based in Longford Town. Johnny Nevin believes the government failed to address the problem until it was too late:
