Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We have been over this ground a few times and I cannot agree to amendment No. 34. Subsection (2) is necessary to enable the National Transport Authority to differentiate small public service vehicle regulations between different categories of vehicle and drivers and the special operators, for different circumstances, and in different areas and counties of the State. There is good reason to maintain and build on the regulatory requirements in place for the categorisation of services, namely, taxis, hackneys, limousine services, etc. For example, there would be an outcry if all hackneys had to meet the requirements of taxis in terms of signage and metering equipment. On the other hand, it would be a retrograde step to remove the pro-consumer requirements for taxi services. The National Transport Authority may be required to make regulations, if needed, to deal with matters such as drivers operating in the voluntary sector or proposals for rural hackney services, which I hope to progress in the coming months, as well as for the identification of driving hour restrictions or other different circumstances.

Similarly, the National Transport Authority regulation concerning the display of signage relating to different areas of small public service vehicle operation relies on the ability to regulate for different areas or counties. This provision in section 17 is a restatement of section 39(3) of the Taxi Regulation Act 2003, with the exception of the introduction of a clause to include different requirements for different categories of dispatch operators and other booking services. There is good reason for the authority to regulate the area of small public service vehicle dispatch and booking services, particularly in terms of ensuring a reliable and high standard of service to consumers.