Limerick taxi driver prosecuted for refusing to bring pregnant woman on ‘short journey’

A LIMERICK taxi driver who refused to carry a heavily pregnant woman a short distance to a hotel in the city centre was fined €400 after he was successfully prosecuted by the National Transport Authority.

Conor O’Donoghue, a former general election and local election candidate, of Woodview Park, Caherdavin, Limerick had denied the charge which related to an incident on September 23, 2017.

The complainant told Limerick District Court she was eight months pregnant at the time and that she and her husband had come to Limerick for the weekend.

It was raining heavily when they came out of Debenhams at around 3.25pm so they went to the first taxi in the nearby rank to get a lift to their hotel – No.1 Pery Square.

The woman said the door of the taxi was locked and that she knocked on the window to alert the driver to her presence. He replied “oh it’s just up the road no, no, no” when asked to be taken to the hotel.

The complainant, who lives in Dublin, said she stood back and showed Mr O’Donoghue her bump and directly asked if he was refusing to carry her.

“He said yes’,” she told Judge Brian O’Shea.

The couple who then went to the next taxi made a formal complaint about the incident a short time later via the NTA website.

Being cross-examined by Mr O’Donoghue, the complainant accepted he was on the phone when she knocked on the window of his taxi.

He put it to the witness that it was reasonable for him to refuse her in those circumstances and he asked why she did not go to another taxi.

“You didn’t say you were busy and on the phone,” she replied reiterating her belief that he refused to take her because the journey would not have been profitable enough.

Bernard Barry, a compliance officer with the NTA, said the complaint was referred to him and that he met with Mr O’Donoghue on November 2, 2017.

When the allegation was put to him, he stated he did not think it was unreasonable given the short distance involved. “He said it would have cost him money and that it would have taken him 40 to 60 minutes to get back to the top of the rank,” he told prosecuting solicitor Jason Teahan.

Addressing the court Mr O’Donoghue said he did not recall the incident and he insisted he has never refused to carry a pregnant women in his taxi.

However, Judge O’Shea said he was satisfied Mr O’Donoghue had “determined the potential fare” and had decided it was either too inconvenient or not profitable enough.

He imposed a €400 fine and directed that €200 be paid to the complainant and husband to cover their expenses for attending court.