Vol. 498 No. 6
135 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the mechanism, if any, available whereby a licence holder for a wheelchair accessible taxi whose van has been put off the road through an accident or crash, as in the case of a person (details supplied) can received temporary transfer of that licence to an ordinary car until his van has been repaired in view of the need in order to keep as many taxis as possible on the road. [28183/98]
To promote and maintain a fleet of taxis suitable for use by disabled persons, wheelchair accessible taxi licences are issued as a separate category of licence and are not interchangeable with other taxi licences. A person holding a wheelchair accessible taxi licence is permitted to apply to the licensing authority to have the licence continue in force in respect of a different vehicle. Such a vehicle must, however, be certified by the Garda Commissioner as being suitable, by reference to prescribed criteria, to be licensed as a wheelchair accessible taxi.
