Vol. 567 No. 5
360 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Transport if he has considered the practicability of the regulation which requires children under 17 to be restrained in a motor vehicle; the implications for taxis; the possibility that taxis which do not contain the necessary restraint may now refuse to carry children under 17; if he has received representations on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14412/03]
National requirements in relation to the use of seatbelts by drivers and passengers of cars are set out in the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 1991. Under these regulations there is, inter alia, an onus on the driver of a car, including a taxi driver, not to permit a person under 17 to occupy a seat unless that person is four years of age or upwards and is wearing a seat belt or is restrained by an appropriate child restraint. This latter onus on a driver does not apply where seatbelts are not fitted or where there is no unoccupied appropriate child restraint. In the latter case a front seat may not be occupied by the child. These regulations have applied since 1 January 1993.
Taxis are licensed to provide on-street immediate public hire services in accordance with the public service vehicles regulations. Whenever a person requests the driver of a taxi standing for hire in a taximeter area to drive the person to a specified place in that area, the driver is required to comply with all such reasonable requests in accordance with the regulations. There are no proposals to change this requirement. Apart from a small number of recent telephone calls to my Department from one individual, I have received no representations in regard to the matters raised.
