Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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652. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details of the new rural taxi licence, that is, the qualifying conditions and so on, the impact that this will have on existing taxi licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30125/13]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the regulation of the taxi industry under the provisions of the Public Transport Regulation Act, 2009, and is also the lead agency with responsibility for implementation of the recommendations of the Taxi Regulation Review Report 2011, including Action 46 concerning the introduction of a local area hackney licence.

The aim of the proposal is to facilitate the low cost entry to the hackney market for transport provision in rural areas that, otherwise, would be unlikely to have such services. The licensing requirement would be based on certain specified criteria in particular the validation of transport needs in the area of operation.

The NTA has prepared a proposal for the introduction of the local area hackney licence which is currently being considered by the Taxi Advisory Committee.