Compliance and Enforcement
The NTA has a team of compliance officers, warranted as authorised persons, who are empowered to investigate complaints. NTA is committed to ensuring compliance with SPSV legislation, in order to ensure public safety, that legitimate, professional operators do not have to compete with others operating to lower standards, and to ensure continued public confidence in SPSV services. NTA has the right to bring court prosecutions for certain offences, including unlicensed drivers and unlicensed vehicles operating as SPSVs. Compliance officers may also issue on-the-spot penalties for a number of specified fixed payment offences. All members of An Garda Síochána are also warranted as authorised persons. Compliance Officers and Gardaí will not only enforce the legislation but also offer guidance to SPSV operators on how to maintain compliance and offer good customer service.
The Compliance Team
NTA’s compliance officers work for the benefit of the industry and the travelling public. They support the vast majority of SPSV operators who provide an excellent public service, and ensure that standards throughout the industry remain high. Compliance officers have the right to approach any SPSV operator while they are working. They will generally want to carry out some basic checks on the vehicle or the driver – sometimes this is a routine check, and sometimes it is part of an investigation into a complaint. Authorised persons have the power to request and seize documents, and they can also enter premises connected with the provision of an SPSV service – for example, a dispatch operator’s office – where they can secure evidence for potential prosecutions.
As a driver if you are approached by a compliance officer, you can expect the officer to:
- Identify themselves and show you their warrant of appointment identity card
- Be polite and civil
- Understand that you are working, and not delay you unnecessarily
- Check compliance with vehicle standards (tamper-proof licence discs, in-vehicle passenger information, safety equipment, cleanliness, and, where relevant, roof sign, taximeter and printer, and wheelchair ramps)
- Check that your driver display card is on display and that you are in possession of the identity card, and that (in a taxi) the journey information is displayed. In order to help our officers to do their job, and allow you to carry on with your business as quickly as possible, you should cooperate with any reasonable request that the officer makes.
As a driver, we expect you to:
- Keep up to date with your obligations under SPSV legislation
- Give reasonable assistance and information to all authorised persons, including NTA’s compliance officers and An Garda Síochána
- Not to obstruct, impede, fail to comply with, or give false or misleading information to an authorised person
Responsibility
Any vehicle being operated as an SPSV must comply with SPSV Regulations. If a vehicle is operated as an SPSV without a licence, both the owner of the vehicle and the driver can be charged with the offence. However, it always remains the driver’s responsibility to ensure that the vehicle he or she is operating complies with the regulations, irrespective of who holds the vehicle licence or who owns the vehicle.
Report Illegal Activity
To report any illegal activity, call 0818 064 000 or e-mail compliance@nationaltransport.ie
You must be able to provide sufficient information regarding the activity to enable the Compliance Team to investigate the report. You do not have to give your name, however if the information cannot be verified, the Compliance Team may not be able to take any action.