Public Consultation on Proposed Small Public Service Vehicle (Contingency Measure – Vehicle Supply) (Maximum Permissible Age) Regulations

Public Consultation on Proposed Small Public Service Vehicle (Contingency Measure – Vehicle Supply) (Maximum Permissible Age) Regulations

Public Consultation Report

Background

NTA is responsible for the regulation of the Small Public Service Vehicle (SPSV) industry in Ireland; this comprises taxis, hackneys and limousines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of measures were taken to support the SPSV industry, one of which was the introduction of emergency regulations to temporarily extend the maximum permissible age of taxis and hackneys in the SPSV fleet because of a lack of passenger demand during the Covid restrictions which decimated the earning capacity of SPSV operators. These emergency regulations were completed in a phased approach as the pandemic duration predictions changed and extended. As a result of these emergency regulations, no taxi or hackney was required to exit the SPSV fleet as a result of age during the restrictions (2020, 2021 and 2022) and, in fact, may remain in the fleet until the day and month of their original final operation date but in 2023.

Recent climate, energy and geopolitical challenges, in particular, have made it unfeasible for all end of life SPSVs to be replaced throughout the next 12-15 months.  However, recent SPSV service demand has been, at most times, 20-45% greater than 2019 levels.

The factors facing licence holders for the replacement of end of life SPSVs are creating a perfect storm of constrained vehicle supply.  These include:

  • Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine and the unpredicted continuation of the global shortage of semiconductor chips, neon, nickel and palladium;
  • Energy rationing in Europe;
  • Logistics disruptions in Germany;
  • Covid-19 lockdowns in China; and
  • Supply to Ireland.

A pragmatic response is required to control the impacts of matters outside of the State’s control.  Resultantly, NTA is considering making an exceptional contingency provision in relation to the maximum permissible vehicle age limits of vehicles due to reach their end of life before 2025.

Proposal

The proposal is to temporarily extend the maximum permissible age for taxis and hackneys such that no current vehicle licence holder is forced out of the industry because a replacement vehicle cannot be purchased in the current exceptional geopolitical, climate challenge and restricted supply environments.

Recognising the current restricted supply environments, NTA proposes the following:

  1. enactment of the Small Public Service Vehicle (Contingency Measure – Vehicle Supply) (Maximum Permissible Age) Regulations 2022, as a temporary exceptional contingency provision, to permit SPSVs with a current final operation date in 2023 and 2024 to operate for a period beyond the maximum permissible age set out in Regulation 31 of the Taxi Regulation (Small Public Service Vehicle) Regulations 2015 (as may be amended);
  2. phasing out these temporary exceptional contingency Regulations from 2025 for the oldest extended life vehicles (15 and 20 years) to ensure an easier transition back to those appropriate Regulation 31 SPSV age limits; and
  3. a review of the suitability of the exceptional contingency Regulations at the end of 2023.

Submissions in relation to this proposal may be made in one of the two following ways:

Online Submission – Click Here

Post: SPSV Regulatory Consultations, National Transport Authority, PO Box 436, City North Business Park, Tuam Road, Galway.

Closing date for receipt of submissions was 12 noon on Wednesday 12 October 2022.

All postal submissions must include the subject of the submission, the full name of the person making the submission and, where relevant, the name of the body or organisation represented.

The Authority is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 and, therefore, must consider any request for information made under that Act. Submissions received to the consultations will be published online. Further information can be found here.

 

 

Comhairliúchán Poiblí maidir leis na Rialacháin um Beagfheithiclí Seirbhíse Poiblí (Beart Teagmhasachta – Soláthar Feithiclí) (Aois Incheadaithe Uasta) atá Beartaithe

Cúlra

Tá an tÚdarás Náisiúnta Iompair freagrach as an tionscal Beagfheithiclí Seirbhíse Poiblí in Éirinn a rialáil; is tionscal é sin atá comhdhéanta de thacsaithe, de fhruilcharranna agus de limisíní. Le linn phaindéim COVID-19, rinneadh roinnt beart chun tacú leis an tionscal Beagfheithiclí Seirbhíse Poiblí, arb é a bhí i gceann amháin díobh ná rialacháin éigeandála a thabhairt isteach chun aois incheadaithe uasta na dtacsaithe agus na bhfruilcharranna sa fhlít Beagfheithiclí Seirbhíse Poiblí a fhadú go sealadach de bharr easpa éilimh ó phaisinéirí le linn shrianta COVID-19, rud a laghdaigh cumas tuillimh na n-oibritheoirí Beagfheithiclí Seirbhíse Poiblí go mór. Cuireadh na rialacháin éigeandála sin i gcrích de réir a chéile de réir mar a rinneadh na tuartha faoi fhad na paindéime a athrú agus a fhadú. Mar thoradh ar na rialacháin éigeandála sin, níor ceanglaíodh ar aon tacsaí ná aon fhruilcharr imeacht ón bhflít Beagfheithiclí Seirbhíse Poiblí de bharr aoise le linn na srianta (2020, 2021 agus 2022) agus, dáiríre, féadfaidh siad fanacht sa fhlít go dtí lá agus mí a mbundáta oibriúcháin deiridh, cé go dtitfidh sé sin amach sa bhliain 2023.

Mar thoradh ar dhúshláin aeráide, fuinnimh agus geopholaitiúla a thit amach le déanaí go háirithe, níl sé indéanta gach Beagfheithicil Seirbhíse Poiblí a bhfuil a ré caite a athsholáthar sa tréimhse 12-15 mhí atá romhainn.  Mar sin féin, is amhlaidh den chuid is mó atá an t-éileamh le déanaí ar sheirbhísí Beagfheithiclí Seirbhíse Poiblí idir 20% agus 45% níos mó ná a bhí sé sa bhliain 2019.

Tá na tosca a bhfuil sealbhóirí ceadúnais ag dul i ngleic leo le haghaidh Beagfheithiclí Seirbhíse Poiblí a bhfuil a ré caite a athsholáthar ag cruthú stoirm fhoirfe de sholáthar srianta feithiclí.  Áirítear leo sin:

  • Ionsaí míleata na Rúise ar an Úcráin agus leanúint neamhthuartha den ghanntanas domhanda sliseanna leathsheoltóra, neoin, nicile agus pallaidiam;
  • Cóimheas fuinnimh san Eoraip;
  • Cur isteach ar lóistíocht sa Ghearmáin;
  • Dianghlasálacha COVID-19 sa tSín; agus
  • Soláthar d’Éirinn.

Teastaíonn freagairt phragmatach chun tionchar na nithe nach bhfuil smacht ag an Stát orthu a rialú.  Dá bharr sin, tá an tÚdarás Náisiúnta Iompair ag déanamh breithniú ar fhoráil teagmhasachta eisceachtúil a dhéanamh i ndáil le teorainneacha aoise incheadaithe uasta feithicle na bhfeithiclí a mbeidh a ré caite roimh an mbliain 2025.

Togra

Is é atá sa togra ná an aois incheadaithe uasta le haghaidh tacsaithe agus fruilcharranna a fhadú ar bhonn sealadach chun nach gcuirfear aon sealbhóir ceadúnais feithicle atá ann cheana amach as an tionscal toisc nach féidir feithicil athsholáthair a cheannach sna timpeallachtaí eisceachtúla atá ann cheana ina bhfuil dúshláin gheopholaitiúla, dúshláin aeráide agus soláthar srianta.

Ag aithint dó na timpeallachtaí atá ann cheana ina bhfuil soláthar srianta, beartaíonn an tÚdarás Náisiúnta Iompair na nithe seo a leanas:

  1. na Rialacháin um Beagfheithiclí Seirbhíse Poiblí (Beart Teagmhasachta – Soláthar Feithiclí) (Aois Incheadaithe Uasta), 2022, a achtú mar fhoráil teagmhasachta eisceachtúil shealadach chun cead a thabhairt do bheagfheithiclí seirbhíse poiblí a bhfuil dáta oibriúcháin deiridh reatha acu sa bhliain 2023 nó sa bhliain 2024 oibriú ar feadh tréimhse is faide ná an aois incheadaithe uasta a leagtar amach i Rialachán 31 de na Rialacháin um Rialáil Tacsaithe (Beagfheithicil Seirbhíse Poiblí), 2015 (de réir mar a d’fhéadfaí iad a leasú);
  2. deireadh a chur leis na Rialacháin teagmhasachta eisceachtúla shealadacha seo de réir a chéile ón mbliain 2025 i leith le haghaidh na bhfeithiclí ré fadaithe is sine (idir 15 bliana agus 20 bliain d’aois) chun aistriú níos fusa ar ais chuig na haoisteorainneacha cuí Beagfheithiclí Seirbhíse Poiblí faoi Rialachán 31 a chinntiú; agus
  3. athbhreithniú ag deireadh na bliana 2023 ar oiriúnacht na Rialachán teagmhasachta eisceachtúil.

Féadfar aighneachtaí maidir leis an togra sin a dhéanamh i gceann amháin den dá shlí seo a leanas:

Aighneacht ar Líne – Cliceáil Anseo

Post: Comhairliúcháin maidir leis na Rialacháin um Beagfheithiclí Seirbhíse Poiblí, An tÚdarás Náisiúnta Iompair, Bosca PO 436, Páirc Gnó Thuaisceart na Cathrach, Bóthar Thuama, Gaillimh.

Is é 12pm meán lae Dé Céadaoin an 12 Deireadh Fómhair 2022 an dáta deiridh ar a nglacfar le haighneachtaí.

Ní foláir ábhar na haighneachta, ainm iomlán an duine atá ag déanamh na haighneachta agus, i gcás gurb iomchuí, ainm an chomhlachta nó na heagraíochta a bhfuiltear ag déanamh ionadaíocht dó nó di a chur ar áireamh i ngach aighneacht poist.

Tá an tÚdarás faoi réir fhorálacha an Achta um Shaoráil Faisnéise, 2014, agus, dá bhrí sin, ní foláir dó aon iarraidh ar fhaisnéis a dhéantar de bhun an Achta sin a bhreithniú. Déanfar na haighneachtaí a gheofar i leith na gcomhairliúchán a fhoilsiú ar líne. Is féidir tuilleadh faisnéise a fháil anseo.