Further COVID-19 assistance for taxi drivers with proposed extension of vehicle age limits and waiver for SPSV licence renewal fees – O’Dowd

Taxi drivers can expect further assistance to help them through the difficult COVID-19 period, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Deputy Fergus O’Dowd from Louth has written to the National Transport Authority (NTA) seeking an extension of existing regulations to make life more manageable for taxi drivers at this challenging time.

Deputy O’Dowd said: “COVID-19 has proven to be a very difficult period for taxi and hackney drivers who have seen their income decimated.

“I recently wrote to the NTA asking them to commit to a further extension for vehicles whose roadworthiness CVRT are valid and in date. The Government brought in measures early on in the pandemic to relax the rules about maximum age limits for vehicles, in acknowledgement of the fact that many taxi drivers cannot afford to purchase new vehicles at the moment with their income so badly affected.

“The NTA confirmed to me that they have commenced public consultations on two further amendments to the regulations that will assist taxi drivers at this very challenging time.

The Draft Small Public Service Vehicle (Emergency Measure Covid-19) (2) Regulation 2020, seeks to extend the final operation date of vehicles due to reach their “maximum permissible age” up to 31 December 2021.

The Draft Small Public Service Vehicle (Emergency Measure COVID-19) (Fees) Regulation 2020, seeks to waive standard SPSV licence renewal fees between 1 January and 31 December 2021.

“The NTA has commenced a public consultation on these proposed regulations and I encourage all taxi drivers to have their say on the NTA website.

“I believe these measures will help to protect employment in the sector until we can get back to some sort of normality again. When society reopens again, we will all be grateful to have access to the service provided by the taxi industry which is so vital to economic activity in our towns and cities across the country.”