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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 7 Jun 2000

Vol. 520 No. 4

Written Answers. - Taxi Service.

Question:

149 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of wheelchair accessible taxi licence plates which have been granted by his Department to Dublin local authorities over the past three years; the body charged with the responsibility of policing the effective usage of wheelchair accessible licence plates; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many wheelchair users find it very difficult to obtain a taxi service in the greater Dublin area due to many of the original licence plates no longer being used for the purposes that were intended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15849/00]

Robert Molloy

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy):

The Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations, 1963 to 2000, provide generally for the exercise by local authorities of key regulatory functions in relations to taxis and wheelchair accessible taxis, including the determination of new taxi numbers. While the Road Traffic (Public Services Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations, 2000, temporarily assign the determination of new taxi numbers in the Dublin taximeter area to the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, the grant of individual licences under this regime will remain a matter for Dublin Corporation.

Since 1997, approximately 750 new wheelchair accessible taxi licences have been issued by Dublin Corporation. Some 500 further such licences are due to issue in the present year under the proposals announced by the Government in November 1999. By greatly increasing the overall stock of taxis operating in Dublin, these proposals are designed to cater better for all taxi users in the area, including of course providing improved service for persons with disabilities.

Wheelchair accessible taxis are a separately licensed category, the licences for which are not interchangeable with or convertible into ordinary taxi licences. Persons operating such licences are obliged at all times to use vehicles conforming to the specifications for wheelchair accessible taxis. Supervision of the performance by taxi operators of the service requirements enjoined by regulations is generally a matter for the Garda Síochána.
While the organisation and marketing of taxi services are in principle matters for the industry itself, I have indicated to taxi representative groups that my Department would consider giving support to the carrying out of an integrated study on desirable improvements in the quality of taxi service operations. My Department is also committed to providing assistance to Dublin Corporation in relation to a consultancy study on the feasibility of a centralised taxi booking service for Dublin; this study is now under way.
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