Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 24 Jun 1999

Vol. 507 No. 1

Written Answers. - Taxi Regulations.

Nora Owen

Ceist:

73 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will reconsider his decision not to meet the Irish Cab Drivers Association; if the meeting with his officials has taken place; if so, the outcome in this regard; and the plans, if any, he has to make changes to the rules governing hackneys particularly on the use of bus lanes, identification plates, two-way radios and mobile phones for business. [16207/99]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Dempsey)

I am currently seeking to progress, with the various interests concerned, a range of improvements to the regulatory framework for taxis and hackneys, following closely the advice of the Dublin Taxi Forum. These regulatory improvements include issues related to hackneys such as external identification, the use of two-way radios and telephonic equipment and the carrying of a log of agreed fares.

Hackneys, as private hire vehicles, have not been permitted to use bus lanes in view of their more limited service role, which does not involve publicly standing or plying for hire, and the practical difficulty of distinguishing them from private cars. The Dublin Taxi Forum, while recommending some form of external identification for hackneys to facilitate enforcement of regulations by the Garda Síochána, nonetheless, recommended against the merging of the separate service roles of taxis and hackneys, against roof signage for hackneys and against permitting access to bus lanes by hackneys. I have no proposals to extend the use of bus lanes to hackneys at this time.

A meeting between officials of my Department and representatives of the Irish Cab Drivers Association took place on 23 June 1999 and involved detailed discussion of most of the above issues.