New regulations compelling drivers of taxis, hackneys and limousines to wear seatbelts came into force today.
Formerly exempt from wearing seatbelts, the State's 14,000 taxi drivers will now face a mandatory €60 fine and two penalty points if caught refusing to belt up.
The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said: "Given the overwhelming evidence of the effectiveness of seatbelts in preventing death and reducing serious injury in road accidents, it is not longer possible to justify continuing this exemption."
Mr Brennan said: "The wearing of seatbelts by the drivers of taxis, hackneys and limousines not only improves their own safety but also that of their passengers."
But many taxi drivers are against the regulations, claiming it could impede their escape from attacking passengers, or could be used as a weapon against them.
Mr Vincent Byrne, vice-president of the National Taxi Drivers' Union, told ireland.comhis members were "angered" by the new regulation.
Mr Byrne said that he was not against the wearing of seatbelts in principle but the exemption was "there for a reason" and that was to reduce the risk of attack.
Taxi drivers claim shoulder belts can be used as a strangulation device if a driver is under attack. With gardaí, truck drivers and bus drivers remaining exempt from the rule, Mr Byrne said he could not understand why taxi drivers were being "singled out".
The union confirmed that a number of its members had today reported the gardaí were stopping and checking taxi drivers to ensure they were abiding by the new regulation.
Minister Brennan said the ending of the exemption on seatbelt wearing had been recommended to him by the National Taxi Council.
Mr Byrne said the taxi drivers on the council had voted against removing the exemption. He said they had proposed a "lapsed-type belt" as a compromise.
