The regulations referred to in the question have been recently made to address a number of issues which had arisen in relation to the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations, 1999, including the issue of internal identification for hackneys. This matter was the subject of representations from hackney interests and others who raised concerns about the security implications for passengers of the non-display of an internal sign in hackneys.
Following consultation with the Garda Síochána, the revised regulations were made which include the requirement for the display of information regarding the hackney licence number, the name of the licensing authority, the name, photograph and signature of the driver of the hackney, as well as the serial number of the licence to drive small public service vehicles issued to the driver. These requirements are similar to those which apply in relation to taxis. The regulations seek to ensure that the public should be able to identify the driver of a hackney at all times. Therefore, if a driver is involved in the driving of a number of different hackneys, then a separate sign will be required in each case to comply with the regulations.
The requirement for display of the sign on the rear of at least one of the front seats was included specifically at the request of the Garda Síochána. There are no proposals to amend these provisions, the enforcement of which rests with the Garda Síochána.
