Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 November 2004
314 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person licensed to drive a bus and a taxi has to take additional lessons and a test in order to be allowed to drive a taxi with a trailer. [30148/04]
View answerRegulations on driver licensing set out the various categories of driving licence in accordance with harmonised EU requirements. A category B driving licence gives entitlement to drive vehicles, other than motorcycles, mopeds, work vehicles or land tractors, having a design gross vehicle weight not exceeding 3,500 kg and having passenger accommodation for not more than eight persons. The design gross vehicle weight of the trailer may not be greater than 750 kg or, alternatively, the design gross vehicle weight of the trailer may not exceed the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle and the total design gross vehicle weight of the combination does not exceed 3,500 kg.
A category EB driving licence gives entitlement to drive combinations of vehicles where the drawing vehicle is in category B and where the design gross vehicle weight of the trailer is greater than 750 kg. A category D driving licence gives entitlement to drive vehicles having passenger accommodation for more than eight persons. The design gross vehicle weight of the trailer may not be greater than 750 kg. A category ED driving licence gives entitlement to drive combinations of vehicles where the drawing vehicle is in category D and where the design gross vehicle weight of the trailer is greater than 750 kg. Persons with a category B or a category D licence who wish to have entitlement to drive such vehicles in combination with trailers with a design gross vehicle weight greater than that granted by the licence must pass a specific driving test in the EB or ED category, respectively, to demonstrate that they have the necessary skills for towing larger trailers.
