Two Limerick taxi drivers convicted and fined for separate breaches of regulations

TWO Limerick taxi drivers were fined after they were convicted of breaching taxi regulations arising from separate incidents at ranks in the city centre earlier this year.

In the first case before Limerick District Court, Faizi Noorulhaq, who has an address at Riverpoint, Bishop's Quay, Limerick was convicted for leaving his taxi unattended for more than 40 minutes at a rank at Patrick Street.

Jim O'Leary, compliance officer with the National Transport Authority, told the court how on February 26, 2025 he and a co-worker approached the taxi rank at 1.55pm and observed Mr Noorulhaq's taxi with no driver in it.

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Mr O'Leary say he and his partner remained at the rank waiting for the driver to return, taking a photo of the car at 2:34pm, and ultimately ringing Mr Noorulhaq at 2:36pm requesting that he return to the rank.

Mr Noorulhaq, he said, returned to the rank within a few minutes of the call. Mr O'Leary told the court that upon his return he cautioned Mr Noorulhaq before speaking with him.

He explained that the taxi was left unattended as Mr Noorulhaq "had gone for food with a friend".

Mr O'Leary said he issued a €80 fixed penalty notice following the conversation adding it was never paid.

Being questioned by solicitor Jason Teahan, representing the NTA, Mr O'Leary stated that he issued the fine as taxi drivers are not permitted to leave their vehicles at a rank while unattended. He said Mr Noorulhaq's taxi was left unattended for "at least 45 minutes" and it would, most likely, have been longer had he not rang him to come back.

Judge Catherine Ryan noted that while the taxi was unattended "probably during a period he was getting lunch", it was a breach of the regulations. She imposed a €500 fine and ordered Mr Noorulhaq, who was not present in court, to pay €750 in costs.

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Separately, another taxi driver was before the court arising from an incident at William Street during which he refused to bring a young woman to Keyes Park, Southill.

Conor O'Donoghue, of Woodview Park, Limerick pleaded not guilty to the charge but was convicted following a contested hearing.

Giving evidence the young woman said at approximately 4pm on March 14, last she and her sister approached the taxi rank seeking to travel five minutes "up the road" to their grandmother's house.

She stated that when they approached Mr O'Donoghue's taxi at the top of the rank, he put down the window and told them he "was busy" before putting the window back up.

However when the sisters passed in a different taxi a few minutes later, they could see Mr O'Donoghue was still in the rank, with the young woman telling Mr O'Donoghue in court "you weren't busy, you stayed there, you didn't move".

Jim O'Leary, who investigated the complaint, told the court that on April 3 while on duty with a colleague, he spoke with Mr O'Donoghue under caution in his taxi. He said he informed him of the complaint and asked if he had a reasonable reason to refuse the fare.

Mr O'Leary testified that in response, Mr O'Donoghue said: "A lot of young ladies want to go to Keyes Park and I know exactly what they are doing there... they [young women] are dying on the streets of Limerick because of the things that are happening - fellas are going around giving sweet cigarettes and the taxi regulation people are going around hounding drivers and the guards are not doing their job."

He said that Mr O'Donoghue added that "he was not going to get involved in the sweet cigarette business."

Mr O'Leary said after this conversation, he issued Mr O'Donoghue with an €80 fixed penalty notice but that it was never paid.

When asked by prosecuting solicitor Jason Teahan what Mr O'Leary believed the defendant was referring to when he mentioned "sweet cigarettes", the witness said he was "not sure what he meant."

Mr O'Donoghue, who represented himself during the proceedings, asked: "Do you think it's reasonable that I am accused by someone I don't know?"

He explained that his understanding was that the taxi driver who did transport the young women was the person who made the complaint and not the young woman.

However, Mr O'Leary said this was not the case and that the other driver had helped the woman by advising her how to lodge a complaint.

Mr O'Donoghue submitted the complaint was based on "second hand information" and was not from a member of the public. He further claimed that the documentation he received in relation to the complaint was a "statement of facts... not a complaint", and that he "was fined in the absence of a complaint."

Rejecting this assertion, Mr Teahan explained. "The compliance officers are not guards, they were investigating a complaint about you, it has to be accepted that a complaint was made and that is why we are here."

He further asked Mr O'Donoghue: “Am I right in saying you cherry-pick what fares you take in your taxi?”

Mr O'Donoghue replied: “I take old lads like me, but I refuse to take young ones,” and he confirmed that what Mr O’Leary had earlier testified was his reason for refusing the fare.

Judge Ryan convicted Mr O'Donoghue, stating that the court does not accept his claim that he had a reasonable excuse to refuse the fare.

Noting it was his second conviction for such an offence, she fined Mr O'Donoghue €750 and directed that he pay costs of €750.