Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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146. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to allow small public service vehicles to utilise the bus lanes while working on their PSV licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49303/22]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Bus lanes were created, with significant public investment, to provide on-street priority for bus-based public transport. Their goal is to make bus transport faster and more reliable, encouraging more people to switch from private cars to public transport, reducing both congestion and pollution.

In addition to buses, bus lanes may be used by cyclists who, as vulnerable road users, are safer in bus lanes than in general traffic. The lanes may also be used by emergency services. After the lanes were introduced, it was decided to allow only one category of small public service vehicle (SPSV) - taxis - to use them. This concession was based on the fact that taxis are a form of public transport available for on-street hire.

Since bus lanes were introduced, there have been many requests to grant access to other classes of SPSV, including hackneys and chauffeured limousine services. Do date, such proposals have not been progressed on the grounds that they would undermine the purpose of prioritising bus-based public transport.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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147. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of current local area hackney licences in the State by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49318/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including SPSV licensing, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016.

Accordingly, I have referred your questions to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.