Vol. 572 No. 3
114 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Transport the level of progress on the establishment of the Office of the Taxi Regulator and the proposed new taxi council; the details regarding the review of the issue of accessibility to taxis; and the progress the Government is making on its earlier commitment to start achieving 100% accessibility from the end of 2003. [23147/03]
137 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Transport when the planned national taxi advisory council will be established; the proposed role and membership of the council; when a permanent taxi regulator will be appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23132/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 114 and 137 together.
The Taxi Regulation Act 2003 was enacted in July 2003 to provide a legislative basis for the establishment of a Commission for Taxi Regulation and an Advisory Council to the Commission for Taxi Regulation. The Act will facilitate the replacement of the current regulatory system applying to the licensing and operation of small public service vehicles – taxis, hackneys and limousines – and their drivers and the development by the commission for taxi regulation of new qualitative standards relating to the operation and driving of small public service vehicles. A competition to recruit a Commissioner for Taxi Regulation is currently being progressed by the Civil Service and Local Appointments Commission.
With regard to the advisory council, the Taxi Regulation Act 2003 provides for the establishment of a council consisting of a chairperson and 17 ordinary members to advise the Commission for Taxi Regulation and me as Minister for Transport, as appropriate, on issues relevant to small public service vehicles and their drivers. The membership of the advisory council will be drawn from representatives of the taxi, hackney and limousine industry, local authorities, the Garda Síochána, consumer, disability, tourism and business interests and other relevant sectors. I have received nominations from a range of interest groups with a view to the selection of persons for appointment to the advisory council. I hope to complete my consideration of these nominations in the near future with a view to the formal establishment of the council under the new Act.
On the question of accessibility in taxis, the position is that the Government is committed in An Agreed Programme for Government to continue the process of making taxis wheelchair accessible. However, a number of complex issues concerning implementation of this accessible taxi policy have yet to be decided. These include improvements to the existing wheelchair accessible taxi specification to accommodate the greatest possible range of people, issues surrounding urban-rural needs and the cost of suitable vehicles. These issues will be addressed by the statutory Commission for Taxi Regulation, when established, as part of the development of new small public service vehicle standards.
