Concerns have been raised this week over the safety of passengers using taxis in Galway city.

Speaking to the Galway Independent, City Councillor Michael Crowe said he was not confident about the standards of taxi drivers in the city and called for thorough background checks to be carried out on all drivers of public service vehicles.

"A lot of drivers are new to the city and new to the country and haven't had a full background check carried out on them. In my opinion, anyone driving a public service vehicle should be completely checked out before they are given a licence so that if my teenage daughter or son is getting a taxi home some night, I am happy in the knowledge that they are going to get home safe."

Cllr Crowe continued to criticise the local knowledge of some drivers, saying they have a "frightening" lack of experience of the area.

"There is no control. Nobody is responsible. It seems that anyone can drive a public service vehicle now and some of these drivers have an absolutely frightening lack of local knowledge. In a city where tourism is such a big industry, it is very important that people feel comfortable and confident when they get into a taxi that they are going to end up in the right place.

"It is up the government and the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey to get a grip of the situation and start dealing with the industry. They seem to be outsourcing everything from a health regulator to a taxi regulator and now an energy regulator. Why do we need a government at all? The government are voted in to do a job and at the end of the day, the buck stops with them."

Meanwhile, taxi drivers in Galway have launched a new body to campaign for improved working conditions in the city.

Following a meeting last Wednesday, taxi drivers decided to form a new committee to negotiate with local authorities and the government. Acting chairman of the SIPTU Taxi Committee, Pat Hardiman said that they got a great response from those in attendance at the meeting.

"There was about 80 at the meeting on Wednesday and we were happy enough with that because it is very hard to get people to come to meetings. Mayor Tom Costello and Cllr Michael Crowe were there as well as Gerry Brennan from the SIPTU Taxi Branch. We discussed the major problems in Eyre Square and the issue of the huge amount of taxi plates in the city as well."

"SIPTU have met with the Minister for Transport and he was very sympathetic towards the plight of taxi drivers in Galway but whether anything is going to be done remains to be seen."

As well as increased parking in the city, the committee are also hoping for a ban on the issuing of licenses in the Galway area as well as a bus lane out of Eyre Square.

"We would fully support a ban on the issuing of licenses but that will be up to the Minister rather than the Taxi Regulator. We think that a bus lane available to taxi drivers to get out of Eyre Square is essential as well because the traffic is unbelievable and it is unfair for the customer to be waiting for so long.

"We also hope to see an appeals system introduced for drivers who are fined for parking inappropriately because sometimes they don't have a choice! Right now, we are just trying to get unity among the drivers themselves and then we will meet with the City Council and take it from there," said Mr Hardiman.

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