Regulator puts cap on issuing of taxi licences
http://www.independent.ie/national-news ... 15674.html
Regulator Kathleen Doyle says her office will work closely with the Department of Social and Family Affairs to make sure those on unemployment benefits are not also driving cabs.
THE Commission for Taxi Regulation has barred new entrants to the industry unless they are prepared to buy a wheelchair-accessible taxi.
New reforms announced yesterday also mean the regulator will work with the Department of Social and Family Affairs to ensure people claiming unemployment benefit are not driving a taxi. Regulator Kathleen Doyle has also pledged to examine the possibility of introducing a new roof plate which would state where a licence holder is allowed to operate.
Taxi drivers are only allowed to work where they are licensed, but roof signs currently only display a number.
Driver groups have complained that this results in drivers travelling across the country to poach passengers during busy periods such as music festivals, but the new system would see the name of the county placed on the roof plate to identify where the driver can ply for trade.
Other changes to the licensing system include:
Existing taxi licences will only be allowed to be sold to another driver once. The new licence holder must have a car less than three years old.
A fleet licence could be introduced for owners of a number of licences. This would oblige the licence holder to ensure all drivers have tax and insurance.
All cars must be less than nine years old by January 2011.
All drivers must sit a knowledge test by 2012.
The commission will also collect information from new entrants on other employment and seek tax clearance certificates in an effort to reduce double-jobbing by drivers working excessive hours.
"These measures are a natural progression in our ongoing reform of the industry," Ms Doyle said.
"A key concern of the commission is that the SPSV (small public service vehicle) fleet meets its accessibility objective. As it is individuals with disabilities who are often most reliant on the door-to-door service offered by taxis, the commission believes that there is a need to increase the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles and improve the availability of those already licensed to provide a service."
There are currently 1,577 wheelchair accessible taxis from a national fleet of 27,169. Ms Doyle hopes to increase this number to 10pc of the fleet.
The Irish Taxi Drivers Federation said it welcomed most of the new provisions, but criticised the lack of grants to help drivers buy new wheelchair accessible cabs.
Upgrade
"I welcome the fact that all new licences will have to be wheelchair accessible, but I'm disappointed that a grant is not being put in place for existing licence holders to upgrade their vehicles. It will be necessary for many of those to buy new vehicles," spokesman John Ussher said.
"I acknowledge she is trying to take the industry forward but we have a situation where we have in the region of 14,000 taxis in Dublin, but just 600 spaces. It's legally correct but morally wrong for a full-time driver to be sitting behind a bank official or fireman.
"Something will have to be done about part-time drivers. There would be no problem bringing in part-time drivers in busy periods, but we don't have busy periods. The business can't carry on the way it is. The stress in trying to meet financial commitments is huge."
The commission will meet with the industry over the coming months to discuss the reforms.
