Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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59. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has any plans to extend the ten-year taxi vehicle licensing rule to 15 years, in view of the significant increase in the cost of used cars and the scarcity of used electric vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55759/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including vehicle age limits for SPSVs , is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. As such, the NTA has powers to make regulations in relation to the age limits of SPSVs.

Regulations made by the NTA in 2010 first established an age limit of less than 10 years old for new standard taxis and hackneys. The ten-year rule was adopted in recognition of the need to strike a balance between achieving standards that offer the customer confidence, comfort and safety, and allowing industry members to operate successfully. I would note that the Irish 10-year rule for standard taxis and hackneys is not particularly onerous by comparison with other jurisdictions.

Wheelchair accessible taxis and hackneys are permitted to operate up to 15 years of age. No maximum permissible age is prescribed for limousines in recognition of both the vintage nature of many of these vehicles and their generally reduced mileage.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, standard age limits for taxis and hackneys were extended on several occasions, and are currently extended through to the end of 2022. This change helped ensure no operator exited the industry simply because of the need to replace a vehicle.

Since August, a series of global circumstances has, in the NTA’s view, considerably worsened the capability of taxi and hackney licence holders to secure new vehicles, with lead times of one year not uncommon already. Therefore, the NTA proposed to temporarily extend the maximum permissible age for taxis and hackneys with a current final operation date in 2023 and 2024, such that no current vehicle licence holder is forced out of the industry because a replacement vehicle cannot be purchased.

The NTA ran a public consultation on this proposal from 19 September until 12 October 2022. It is expected that the proposal will be considered for approval at either of the November or December meetings of the NTA Board. If approved, the new Regulations will be in place before the end of the year.