Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 July 2020
88. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the specific supports, including financial supports and guidelines or advice provided to those working as taxi drivers or chauffeurs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13802/20]
View answerI recognise that since the onset of the present COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of restrictions as part of the necessary public health response, passenger demand for taxis and other small public service vehicle (SPSV) services has fallen considerably and many operators stopped working temporarily.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) - the agency under my aegis which regulates the taxi industry - took action to reduce the immediate financial burden on SPSV operators and to make it easier for them to return to the industry when circumstances change. These actions included licence extensions, the waiver of late licence renewal fees, and, in conjunction with the motor insurance industry, the suspension of SPSV insurance for those operators who decided to temporarily stop working and suspend their licences. The NTA has also published information on its website for the SPSV industry which includes guidance on the installation of screens and guidelines on how to keep vehicles clean to reduce the spread of COVID-19. In recognition of the challenges facing businesses, the Government also put in place a range of measures to assist businesses during the current COVID-19 pandemic, including the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme, the COVID-19 Restart Grant, and a waiver of commercial rates. Self-employed owner operators of SPSVs may also avail of the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment of €350 a week that was introduced.
The focus now is on assisting those who have stopped working to get back to work as the economy reopens and passenger demand for SPSVs returns. My Department is in regular contact with the NTA to monitor the impact that the reopening of the economy in line with the Government's Roadmap to Reopening Society and Business is having on demand for SPSV services and to ensure that SPSV operators who have temporarily stopped working are well placed to return to work.
