Regulator draws up new rules for taxis

The first of a new set of regulations on customer service and safety standards in the taxi industry will be in place towards the end of the year, the State's first taxi regulator said yesterday.

Announcing details of a public consultation process on the initiative, Mr Gerard Deering said the regulations would focus on a number of areas, including vehicle standards, customer care, accessibility for disabled passengers and simplification of taxi fares.

"By May I am going to put together the draft regulations and they will go back for consultation," he told The Irish Times.

"Before the end of the year those regulations will start to be implemented on a phased basis."

Taxi-users, industry representatives and other interested parties are invited to make submissions during the first phase of consultations, which has a deadline of March 7th.

The Commission for Taxi Regulation (www.taxiregulator.ie), which was established under the 2003 Taxi Regulation Act, has commissioned Goodbody Economic Consultants and the Dublin Institute of Technology to assist in the review.

As well as surveying taxi-users and other stakeholders, they will help in organising public meetings throughout the State.

On foot of the review, the commission plans to draw up a strategic plan for 2005-2009, as well as publish a new national code of regulation.

Mr Deering, who took up office last October having previously worked as deputy manager of Carlow County Council, said the commission would be putting in place both a customer charter and an "efficient and effective" system of complaints and quality assurance.

"Other issues will include the case for extending fare control to hackneys and the criteria to be applied and the process to be followed in revising fare levels and responding to the requests of taxi interests for fare increases."

In a separate development, the Department of Transport said it planned to introduce "within a matter of months" a ban on individuals with criminal records from driving taxis.

Such a prohibition is allowed for under the 2003 Act.

Four public meetings have been announced to date as part of the consultation process.

The dates are: the Silver Springs Hotel, in Cork, on February 22nd; the Minella Hotel, in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, on February 23rd; the Sligo Park Hotel, in Sligo on March 1st, and the Axis Centre, Ballymun, Dublin, on March 2nd. The meetings will start at 7 p.m.