Olivia Mitchell
Ceist:297 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will permit the use of clear signage, including the company name, on hackney cars. [9459/01]
Written Answers. - Hackney Regulations.
The Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations, 1999, which came into operation on 1 March 2000, provide for the introduction of a form of identification for licensed hackneys consisting of a sign to be displayed on all such vehicles on both the front and rear of the vehicle. The schedule to these regulations details the requirements to be complied with in relation to hackney signs, which were developed following consultation with hackney representatives. The sign must display the word HACKNEY or HACNAÍ, the name of the licensing authority, the vehicle identification mark and the number of the hackney licence granted in respect of the vehicle. The regulations also provide that no sign or advertisement, other than hackney signs, may be displayed on a hackney.
Subsequent regulations made in August 2000 provide for the introduction of an internal hackney identification which requires the display of information regarding the hackney licence number, the name of the licensing authority, the name, photograph and signature of the driver of the hackney, as well as the serial number of the licence to drive small public service vehicles issued to the driver. The regulations seek to ensure that the public should be able to identify the driver of a hackney at all times.
The primary reason for the introduction of a limited form of external identification for hackneys was to facilitate enforcement of the public service vehicles regulations by An Garda Síochána. I have no proposals to modify the current sign.
Olivia Mitchell
Ceist:298 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will allow hackneys to use bus lanes and quality bus corridors. [9460/01]
I refer to the reply to Question No. 190 of 6 February 2001. The position is unchanged.