S.I. No. 234 of 2008

TAXI REGULATION ACT 2003 (WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE HACKNEY AND WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE TAXI LICENCES - CONTACT INFORMATION AND RECORD MAINTENANCE) REGULATIONS 2008

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 4th July, 2008.

The Commission for Taxi Regulation, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by section 34 of the Taxi Regulation Act 2003 (No. 25 of 2003), hereby makes the following regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Taxi Regulation Act 2003 (Wheelchair Accessible Hackney and Wheelchair Accessible Taxi Licences - Contact Information and Record Maintenance) Regulations 2008.

2. In these Regulations-

“Commission” means Commission for Taxi Regulation;

“Small Public Service Vehicle Regulations” means the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations 1963 to 2003 insofar as they apply to small public service vehicles and Regulations made under section 34 of the Taxi Regulation Act 2003 (No. 25 of 2003);

“wheelchair accessible licence” means a licence granted under the Small Public Service Vehicle Regulations in respect of a wheelchair accessible hackney or a wheelchair accessible taxi;

“wheelchair accessible vehicle” means a vehicle in respect of which there is a wheelchair accessible licence in force.

3. (1) The holder of a wheelchair accessible licence shall, within 21 days from the date of a request for same by the Commission, furnish to the Commission for disclosure by the Commission on request to consumers who wish to access a wheelchair accessible vehicle service the following information:

(a) name of licence-holder and driver, as appropriate;

(b) contact details in accordance with paragraph (2);

(c) area of the country in which the licence-holder operates a small public service vehicle service;

(d) hours during which the licence-holder operates a small public service vehicle service.

(2) The contact details referred to in paragraph (1) include:

(a) where the licence-holder takes his or her own bookings, the licence-holder’s business contact details for the purposes of making or receiving a booking;

(b) where the licence-holder is affiliated with a dispatch operator and takes bookings exclusively from that dispatch-operator, the contact details of the dispatch operator concerned;

(c) where the licence-holder takes his or her own bookings in addition to being affiliated to a dispatch operator, the licence-holder’s business contact details together with the contact details of the dispatch operator concerned.

4. (1) The holder of a wheelchair accessible licence shall maintain records of all bookings received.

(2) The records referred to in paragraph (1) shall include-

(a) the date and time of the booking;

(b) the name and contact details of the person making the booking;

(c) the name and contact details of the person intending to travel;

(d) the destination of the journey booked;

(e) the time at which the fare commenced;

(f) the time at which the destination was arrived at.

(3) All records held under this Regulation shall be furnished to the Commission by the licence-holder within 21 days from the date of a request for same by the Commission either by-

(a) allowing inspection of the original records, or

(b) allowing the original records to be photocopied on the premises or to removed for the purposes of photocopying,

as considered appropriate by the Commission.

(4) The records referred to in this Regulation shall be maintained by the licence-holder concerned for a period of not less than one year.

Given under the seal of the Commission for Taxi Regulation,

1 July 2008

KATHLEEN DOYLE.

Commissioner for Taxi Regulation.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These Regulations require the holder of a wheelchair accessible small public service vehicle (SPSV) licence to register his or her contact details with the Commission for Taxi Regulation. The Commission may in turn disclose this information on request to consumers who wish to avail of a wheelchair accessible service.

In addition, the holders of wheelchair accessible SPSV licences are required to keep records relating to bookings.