Today, following public consultation, the NTA Board approved the signing of the Small Public Service Vehicle (Emergency Measure COVID-19) (No. 2) Regulations 2020. In the context of COVID-19 and the associated extraordinary economic circumstances being experienced by the industry, these regulations facilitate the licencing of eligible SPSVs for one additional year in excess of the usual Maximum Permissible Age Requirements.
These Regulations permit a vehicle associated with a SPSV licence to remain eligible to be licenced, all other obligations met, as follows:
- standard taxi/hackney and local area hackney until 11 years from the date of first registration of the vehicle;
- wheelchair accessible taxi/hackney until 16 years from the date of first registration of the vehicle; and
- certain other very limited standalone cases until 16 years from the date of first registration of the vehicle.
These Regulations come into effect on 01 January 2021 and will automatically fall away after 31 December 2021 and Regulation 31 of the Taxi Regulation (Small Public Service Vehicle) Regulations 2015 will apply. Those licensed SPSVs which received an extension to their maximum permissible age under the Small Public Service Vehicle (Emergency Measure COVID-19) Regulation 2020, will not receive a further extension.