EIRE

A free Irish smartphone app that lets users check details of their taxi driver and vehicle before getting into a cab is growing in popularity.

The National Transport Authority's Driver Check software reveals if the vehicle you are about to hire is correctly registered and if the driver has an appropriate licence.

It also shows the photo ID of the authorised driver, and has the facility to forward these details to a friend.

To use it, users simply input the car registration, the vehicle taxi licence number or the driver licence number to immediately see details of their driver and vehicle in real time.

If the driver or vehicle hasn't been correctly registered users will get a warning. They can then report it for further inspection.

Last year, over 90,000 checks were carried out on taxi drivers and their vehicles.

On foot of these, over 12,000 audits took place which resulted in 1,099 fixed penalty notices.

Anne Graham, Chief Executive Officer of the National Transport Authority commented: “Our priority is to ensure that all passengers experience a safe, quality and affordable service and that drivers and operators who comply with the laws and regulations are not put at a disadvantage as a result others who are non-compliant.

“As the stats show, there is no doubt that the vast majority of taxi passengers enjoy a pleasant trip delivered by a professional, courteous driver.

However, if a passenger feels that something could have gone better in their journey, we urge them to let us know about it, to let us tackle it.

“We strongly encourage people to use our free Driver Check App, to verify for themselves that the vehicle that they are about to hire has been correctly registered and that the driver has the appropriate licence. A private record of each journey taken can also be kept.

“This App protects passengers, and is welcomed by all compliant operators. Our Driver Check App covers taxis, hackneys and limos. It is a handy tool that ensures your safety and comfort when hiring a driver or vehicle.

http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/heres-how-you-can-detect-10333467 
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