Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 July 2020
87. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the measures that will be included in the July stimulus to enable taxi drivers return to work safely; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16241/20]
View answerI recognise that from the onset of the COVID-19 Emergency 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 fell considerably and many operators stopped working.
Over the past few months, the National Transport Authority (NTA), which is the body under the aegis of my Department with responsibility for regulating the SPSV sector, has undertaken a number of measures to assist operators in the industry including fee waivers and facilitating temporary licence suspensions. It has published guidance to SPSV operators on topics including the cleaning of SPSVs and on how to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. This information is available on the NTA's website.
No further support measures are planned at this time and 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.
