Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 266: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the way the proposals included in the recent review of the taxi industry will affect the regulation regarding the transfer of existing taxi licences, in particular, the rule involving the three year age limit of the vehicle to which the licence is to be transferred. [7487/12]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

All matters relating to the regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry are the responsibility of the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the Taxi Regulation Act, 2003. The NTA is also the lead agency with responsibility for the implementation of the recommendations of the Taxi Regulation Review Report, including the proposals concerning vehicle licencing and standards.

With regard to the proposal for the non-transferability of taxi licences which will take effect from the 1st of October 2012, I refer the Deputy to the section of the Taxi Regulation Review Report dealing with vehicle licensing and standards - Section 3.3, which deals with the proposal to remove the anomoly that allows taxi licences issued prior to January 2009 to be sold or transferred on one occasion. The Report states that "It was considered by the Review Group that it was necessary to move away from a system whereby a licence will have value in itself. A licence should determine a person's suitability to carry out a function and it should not have monetary value or be traded on the open market".

I have forwarded the Deputy's correspondence to the NTA for direct reply. Please inform my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.