Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I cannot agree to amendment No. 12. Section 7(4) allows the National Transport Authority to make regulations setting different requirements and conditions in respect of different categories and classes of vehicles, SPSV driver and licences as well as under paragraph (b ) for different circumstances and under paragraph (c ) for different areas of the State. These provisions restate similar provisions in section 34(8) of the Taxi Regulation Act 2003. Paragraph (b ) will enable the National Transport Authority to make regulations, if needed, to deal with items such as drivers operating in different circumstances, for example, providing SPSV services in areas of social need where there is a lack of public transport. I envisage a further amendment to the Bill on Committee Stage in the other House, dealing with this issue and I will return to this House for a further debate on that matter. Paragraph (c) enables the National Transport Authority to make regulations currently concerning the county areas where a taxi driver can stand or ply for hire. Such regulations include a requirement for taxi drivers to have knowledge of the area of SPSV operations. This is critical. It is important that the person picking one up in the taxi knows where he or she is going. That is the reason for the requirement. Under current National Transport Authority regulations there is no limit on the number of areas in which an SPSV driver can operate. They can operate in all 26 counties if the driver passes the area knowledge test for each area in which he or she wishes to stand or ply for hire. There is not a restriction provided they know where they are going. As I have already stated on a number of occasions this is not to provide for any plan to return to the system of licensing which was in place prior to liberalisation whereby the number of licences available in any area depended on the local authority area.

Similarly, I cannot accept amendments Nos. 32, 33 and 36 which relate to section 19 of the Bill. I am not persuaded by the Senators arguments in support of their proposed amendments. These amendments provide for the National Transport Authority to make SPSV regulations also relating to different areas of operation of SPSV services or the operation of SPSV services in different circumstances.