Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this question. When I first came into office, one of my key priorities was to tackle rogue operators in the taxi sector. There has been unfair competition in the taxi market to date as those full-time professional drivers who do their business well have been obliged to compete with those who consistently flout the rules. The system of regulation needed to become much more robust and it will. Between the taxi review report, the new Taxi Regulation Bill and an increased effort from both the Garda and the National Transport Authority, NTA, I am confident a stop can be put to many issues that taxi drivers frequently raise. More than 13,000 vehicles have been checked this year by both the Garda and NTA enforcement officers and this effort will continue with measures on which I now will elaborate further.

Overall, the reforms arising from the taxi regulation review report concern the better enforcement of the taxi regulations, the improvement of standards and quality of transport service to customers, as well as the encouragement of an exit from the industry of those who operate in breach of the required standards and regulations. Many of the recommendations of the review report, once implemented, will facilitate the oversight of the industry by the National Transport Authority, which has responsibility for the regulation of the taxi industry under the Taxi Regulation Act 2003 and will assist the NTA officers and the Garda Síochána to enforce the taxi regulations.

Action 24 of the review report proposes strengthening of the collaboration between the Garda Síochána and the NTA to secure effective "on-street" enforcement of taxi regulations and to refocus the compliance activities of the NTA towards a greater level of "off-street" compliance and enforcement. Concerning on-street enforcement, there has been very good co-operation between An Garda Síochána and the NTA on enforcement issues this year and a substantial number of joint operations have been undertaken. The NTA is currently drafting an enforcement plan for 2013, which will be co-ordinated with An Garda Síochána's policing plan for 2013 and this will assist with continued co­operation during 2013.

The introduction of taxi branding on taxis and wheelchair accessible taxis from 1 January 2013, in line with action 31 of the review report, aims to provide greater visibility and recognition of taxis, to reduce the potential for unlicensed vehicles to operate as taxis, as well as to promote greater professionalism in the industry. If, on renewal, a driver does not have the official branding, his or her vehicle licence will not be renewed. If a driver is caught on the street with branding that is not official, he or she then will be liable to a €250 fine. In addition, as recommended under actions 21 and 25 of the review report, Garda powers are to be extended to allow members of An Garda Síochána to issue fixed charge notices in respect of additional small public service vehicle, SPSV, fixed charge offences. It is anticipated that in 2013, regulations will be made in this regard upon commencement of section 34 of the Road Traffic Act 2010.

The new legislation will provide for a much more sophisticated enforcement toolkit, which will include mandatory disqualification for life for serious criminal offences, mandatory disqualification for a period where life disqualification may be disproportionate, revocation or suspension of licences where appropriate, fines to be imposed by courts, fixed payment offences and a demerit scheme, that is, penalty points where repeated minor transgressions will lead to a temporary suspension, if necessary.

Other provisions in the Bill will enable the NTA to supplement its existing enforcement resources through service agreements, will allow authorised officers powers to inspect and examine the condition and roadworthiness of SPSVs and, under warrant, to enter a private dwelling for enforcement purposes, as well as to enable the NTA to establish and use cameras, CCTV and other apparatus at taxi ranks for enforcement and prosecutions. Further to the Government decision of 27 November, the Taxi Regulation Bill was published on 5 December and is to be introduced in the Seanad in January 2013.

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