Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 March 2022
66. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport if an update will be provided on his engagements with the taxi sector; the actions he is taking to support the sector; the regulatory reforms that have been introduced since the taxi protests in September 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12132/22]
View answerSince the start of the pandemic I have, on three occasions, met with the Advisory Committee on Small Public Services (SPSVs), the statutory committee established under the Taxi Regulation Act 2013 to advise the Minister and the NTA in relation to the SPSV sector, the most recent of which was on 25 November 2021. That meeting provided me with a valuable opportunity to get first-hand information on the issues affecting the industry and, in particular, an initial assessment of the impact that the Covid-related restrictions that had been introduced at that time were having on operators.
The Committee's membership represents a broad range of interests and stakeholders, including four positions for SPSV drivers. The Committee is the primary forum for dealing with issues affecting the sector and many of the measures taken to date have originated as recommendations from the Committee, including the extension of taxi age limits and the waiver of licence fees. At the start of the pandemic, the NTA extended the age limits for taxis and hackneys, and repeated this on three further occasions. The most recent extension ensures that standard age limits for taxis and hackneys are waived until the end of 2022,thereby ensuring no operator exits the industry simply because of the need to replace a vehicle.
During the period of the pandemic, I also met with a group of representatives of several taxi associations/unions on two occasions, and also with representatives of taxi dispatch operators in November last. Other members of Government, including the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, have also met with taxi driver representatives. On each of these occasions, we have been able to hear first-hand of the issues affecting the taxi industry.
In relation to supports for the sector, the vast majority of measures taken to support the taxi industry from the start of the pandemic, remain in place.
As many as 70% of SPSV drivers availed of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment at the height of the pandemic. The PUP was re-opened before the end of last year until 25 March to support people who lost their employment as a result of COVID public health restrictions introduced from 7 December 2021. For some people, PUP will have ended before this date as the payment rates are gradually reduced.
In addition to this, in Budget 2022, I secured funding of €6.5 million for a series of specific measures to support the sector, with a view to addressing statutory costs faced by operators which cannot be deferred. Standard licence renewal fees for SPSVs were waived in 2021 and are being waived again in 2022 at an estimated cost of €3 million. The NTA has put in place schemes to refund the Motor Tax paid by SPSV operators in the period 1 September 2021 to 31 August 2022, and to waive NCT fees for the same period. Further details on these schemes are available on the NTA website. Many of the major costs faced by SPSV operators, such as insurance and dispatch operator fees, can be deferred or cancelled during a period of inactivity.
Recognising that the replacement of a vehicle is the single largest cost faced by any SPSV operator, and in view of my commitment to support the transition of the SPSV fleet towards zero/low-emission vehicles, I announced on February 4th last, the re-opening of the eSPSV Grant Scheme with a further €15 million allocated to it for 2022. The take-up rate for this Scheme was exceptionally high in 2021: almost 600 drivers successfully applied for grants, with over €11 million paid out as well as €4 million in provisional grant offers.
As the independent regulator of the sector, the NTA has been in constant contact with taxi operators, drivers and representatives throughout the pandemic via email, text messages and phone calls. In addition, the Deputy should be aware that the NTA has now started work on a new National Maximum Fare Review and is engaging with its service providers in the matter. This Review, which is undertaken on a regular basis by the NTA, assesses any changes in the market facing the taxi industry as well as changes in annual taxi operating costs. These costs include the fixed and running costs of an average taxi and labour costs. The objective of the Review is to determine whether changes need to be made to the current level of maximum fares and the NTA has confirmed that it is endeavouring to conclude the review process as quickly as possible in 2022, whilst still ensuring that all steps, including a consultation process, are appropriately completed.
