Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021
280. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport the estimated full-year cost of providing electric and disability accessible vehicles for the entire taxi public services vehicle fleet including charging stations. [41190/21]
View answerThe Programme for Government set out commitments to support the greening of the taxi fleet and to review supports for wheelchair accessible vehicles to enhance accessibility for people with disabilities. The Department of Transport has a number of specific initiatives in place to support these objectives.
I announced a 2021 allocation of €15 million which will support up to 750 taxi and hackney drivers in scrapping their older vehicles and replacing them with zero-emission capable electric alternatives. The scrappage scheme is open for taxis and hackneys reaching their maximum permissible age limit in 2020/21. Up to €20,000 is available for eligible drivers switching to a new all-electric vehicle and up to €32,500 for those moving to a wheelchair accessible full electric vehicle.
Under the Retro-fit Programme to upgrade older public transport infrastructure to make it accessible for people with disabilities, funding is provided for the Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) Grant Scheme. The WAV Grant Scheme has been operating annually since 2014 and provides grants for the acquisition or conversion of suitable vehicles to operate as WAVs in the SPSV fleet. This scheme offers up to €7,500 for the purchase of a new wheelchair accessible vehicle.
Both of these schemes are administered by the National Transport Authority (NTA), the statutory regulator under the Taxi Regulation Act 2013. In light of the NTA's role in administering the scheme, I have forwarded the aspect of your question which relates to the cost of these schemes to the NTA for direct reply.
Last year, my Department funded installation of SPSV-dedicated EV charging infrastructure at Dublin and Cork airports, as well as at Heuston, Kent and Colbert train stations. My Department is supporting further installations for SPSV charging at key transport hubs in 2021, with an allocation of €3 million earmarked for that purpose.
