S.I. No. 38/2001 - Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations, 2001

In exercise of the powers conferred on the Minister for the Environment and Local Government by section 5 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961 (No. 24 of 1961) and by section 82 of that Act as amended by section 57 of the Road Traffic Act, 1968 (No. 25 of 1968) which powers were delegated to me by the Environment and Local Government (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order, 1997 ( S.I. No. 427 of 1997 ), I, Robert Molloy, Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government hereby make the following Regulations:

1.     (1)   These Regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations, 2001.

(2)   These Regulations and the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations 1963 to 2000 shall be construed as one and may be cited as the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations, 1963 to 2001.

2.     In these Regulations:

“the Regulations of 2000” means the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations, 2000 ( S.I. No. 367 of 2000 ).

“the Regulations of 1995” means the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations, 1995 ( S.I. No. 136 of 1995 ).

3.     The Regulations of 2000 are hereby amended by the replacement in article 14(2) of the words “1 March 2001” with the words “1 July 2001”.

4.     The Fourth Schedule to the Regulations of 1995 is hereby amended -

(a)   by the addition of the following sub-paragraph after sub-paragraph (e) of paragraph 1 -

“(f)  the renewal of a taxi licence.”, and

(b)    by the revocation of paragraph 4.

5.     (1)   This article shall apply to the temporary transfer to a different vehicle of a licence granted in respect of any small public service vehicle.

(2)   The holder of a small public service vehicle licence may apply to the licensing authority which granted the licence for approval for the temporary transfer of the licence aforesaid to a different vehicle.

(3)   An application for approval by a licensing authority for the temporary transfer of a licence under this article shall only be granted -

(a)    where the provisions of article 17 (2) (a) of the Regulations of 1995, as amended by article 12 of the Regulations of 2000, are complied with, and

(b)    where the applicant satisfies the licensing authority that the use of the vehicle as a temporary replacement for the small public service vehicle to which the licence refers is covered by insurance.

(4)   The temporary transfer of a small public service vehicle licence to a different vehicle under this article may apply for any period to be determined by the licensing authority which, in any event, may not exceed the remaining period of validity of the licence.

(5)   The approval of a licensing authority of an application for approval for the temporary transfer of a small public service vehicle licence under this article shall not affect the period in respect of which the licence remains in force.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

These regulations provide for an amendment to existing regulatory provisions in relation to the fee for the renewal of a taxi licence and the requirement to be fitted with a taximeter. The regulations also provide for the temporary transfer of a small public service vehicle licence to a different vehicle.