2015

[John m]

On behalf of the Minister of State for Transport, Mr. Jack Chambers T.D., I refer further to your recent correspondence.

 

The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including vehicle age limits for SPSVs, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. The Minister of State has no role in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV industry.

Regulations made by the NTA in 2010 first established a maximum permissible age of 10 years for new standard taxis and hackneys. The ten-year rule was adopted in recognition of the need to strike a balance between achieving standards that offer the customer confidence, comfort, and safety, and allowing industry members to operate successfully. 

 

The NTA's extension of age limits during Covid-19 was an emergency measure of a temporary nature, taken in recognition of the particular challenges posed by the pandemic and was specifically aimed at ensuring that no operator would be required to change their vehicle while passenger demand remained low due to the pandemic. 

A series of global circumstances during 2022 had, in the NTA’s view, considerably worsened the capability of taxi and hackney licence holders to secure new vehicles. Therefore, the NTA further temporarily extended the maximum permissible age for taxis and hackneys so that no current vehicle licence holder would be forced out of the industry because a replacement vehicle could not be purchased.  They did this by introducing Regulations on 18 November 2022, the purpose of which is to amend Regulation 31 (Maximum Permissible Age Requirements) of the Taxi Regulation (Small Public Service Vehicle) Regulations 2015.



The 2022 Regulations provide for a graduated return to the ten-year age limit, with vehicles whose 10-year limit was originally in 2020 or 2021 now extended to 2025, those whose original limit is in 2022 or 2023 now extended to 2026 and those whose original limit will be reached in 2024 extended to 2027.   



The NTA has contacted SPSV licence holders to confirm the new final operation date of their current licensed vehicle. This amendment was made as an exceptional provision and contingency measure, as a result of vehicle supply issues. The NTA does not anticipate introducing any further maximum permissible age extensions.

 

 

Yours sincerely,



Patrick Leonard

 

Private Secretary to Minister of State Jack Chambers TD

 

[Belker]

That's a fair reply from the ministers secretary. Most unfortunately John m you just missed out by a single year, but there had to be a cut off point some where, and you drew the short straw. At least now you have a year to make plans fer your next motor. You would prob pick up a 5 year old Corrola fer 25k next year and get about 8k fer your 151 so not the end of the world at 17k, and you can claim a share of it back in tax.

[John m]

No Ken .The MINISTER as in the MINISTER said in the Dail no driver would be off the Road .What the NCT has done is possibly Illegal .They have favoured certain drivers over others who hold identical licences .This is not over I still have the Ombudsman and I might tahe a day in court meself to challenge the legality of the NTA actions.

I was given succour by the Minister for Transports reply to a Dail Question on this issue which was NOT Time dependent but the NTA have imposed a time limit that was not implied by the Relevant Minister  .

This raises the question .Who is in charge the minister or some fat ankled youngone in an office off of Stephens Green ?Would we accept if the Minister for health said all women were entitled to breast scanning and then some Doctor said as long as they are good looking ?

[mercenary for hire]

Start saving John.I got a similar reply but then they changed their minds.They won't hint that anything is going to change until the very last minute.

From their position they probably know the Ev grant is going to be renewed and are wondering why you're unable to change to a shiny new EV.

[John m]

There is precedent for equality .Remember when we bought new cars in 2008 and they then changed their minds and extended the age limit for those who bought replacement vehicles .I am considering taking the Minister /NTA and Taxithingey to court seeking financial redress .The EV grant was also unfair as there were restrictions of what vehicles could be scrapped .Based on age or Milage .The stupidity of scrapping 2015 Hybrids low milage cars and replacing them with a cheap 5 year old diesel car boggles the Mind ..

[mercenary for hire]

They want the fleet updated whether we like it or not.None of these ministers or NTA staff would be seen dead in a 2015 car.... nevermind a bleeding Renault....the shame of it.

Now that they're closing off large sections of the city to regular traffic they're going to want to push the EV bollox even harder.

Best you can do is go into a few of the Facebook taxi groups and see if you can get some lads together in a similar situation.They'll be able to see who is and isn't changing vehicles early from their own databases.The more lads that jump early the less likely you'll get an extension.Start saving anyways.

[Octavia1]

There is precedent for equality .Remember when we bought new cars in 2008 and they then changed their minds and extended the age limit for those who bought replacement vehicles .I am considering taking the Minister /NTA and Taxithingey to court seeking financial redress .The EV grant was also unfair as there were restrictions of what vehicles could be scrapped .Based on age or Milage .The stupidity of scrapping 2015 Hybrids low milage cars and replacing them with a cheap 5 year old diesel car boggles the Mind ..

Is yur new car due next yer johnny ?
Yu dont need the stress of court or fighting the system.....fuk them .....keep away from the cunts an civil serpants ....ther salaries come from your misery
Do yu need that shit?   
Yuv a grand in kaspa alone ...that will be worth 40-50 grand next April.....ya can call me a mad cnut but I'm absolutely certain
It's going to shock the world ...
For anyone else on here the window of opportunity is closing ....this march -April  will see bitcoin crash by 30- 40% briefly ....
Kaspa will also crash  could even go 50% down ....in May it'll all start going up again wit the peak in a yers time ....
 I'm seeing jasmy going 10x-15 × so yull make few Bob on that too ...

[watty]

Re Eamonn Ryan and his Dail statement:  Was he the line minister for taxis at the time?  And, even if he was, there's the old cliche that a verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on...

I think your best approach is that the NTA are not taking into account your individual circumstances and that there is no appeal mechanism.  If you got a tax bill from Revenue, you can appeal it.  If you got refused the Dole, you can appeal it.  If you're refused planning permission for a house, you can appeal and so on.  The NTA don't let you appeal.  And the NTA have said 3 or 4 times, "this is the new age limit."  If they can change their minds once, they can change it a second time, esp if your individual circumstances warrant it?

Good luck with it anyways 

[John m]

Re Eamonn Ryan and his Dail statement:  Was he the line minister for taxis at the time?  And, even if he was, there's the old cliche that a verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on...

I think your best approach is that the NTA are not taking into account your individual circumstances and that there is no appeal mechanism.  If you got a tax bill from Revenue, you can appeal it.  If you got refused the Dole, you can appeal it.  If you're refused planning permission for a house, you can appeal and so on.  The NTA don't let you appeal.  And the NTA have said 3 or 4 times, "this is the new age limit."  If they can change their minds once, they can change it a second time, esp if your individual circumstances warrant it?

Good luck with it anyways 

Watty Minister For Transport Line minister made the Statement in the Dail not in the local Mungbean Cafe .If you cannot rely on a Ministers Statement to the Dail then Democracy aint worth a fuck .As I asked If the minister for Health says ALL women are entitled to a Breast Scan .Could the Director of medicine in a hospital add a caviat .As long as they are good looking .Remember all it takes to disqualify a car is a number plate .If I was driving a Hybrid with 100 yes 100 KM on the Clock it would be off the road and I could replace it with a 2016 Diesel with 6000000000000 Killometers on the clock .It is little more than a vanity exercise .

[C5]

Are any of ye effected by the NCT not updating a pass to the nta for relicensing?, I am, did the NCT last Wednesday and it hasn't updated yet, I rang the nta they know about the problem and asked me to email proof of the nct pass, i did that but it turns out that now won't do. It's spreading to other drivers now that have done an nct, my license expires Thursday night. They said no late fee . I asked them could you send me an email so I can show the enforcement fellas they said you cannot work after Thursday , then I said I'll want compensation if this goes on , so we'll see. They fuck up I suffer.

[Octavia1]

Are any of ye effected by the NCT not updating a pass to the nta for relicensing?, I am, did the NCT last Wednesday and it hasn't updated yet, I rang the nta they know about the problem and asked me to email proof of the nct pass, i did that but it turns out that now won't do. It's spreading to other drivers now that have done an nct, my license expires Thursday night. They said no late fee . I asked them could you send me an email so I can show the enforcement fellas they said you cannot work after Thursday , then I said I'll want compensation if this goes on , so we'll see. They fuck up I suffer.

Did me nct yesterday....I'll ring the licence crowd now an see how it goes

[Octavia1]

Are any of ye effected by the NCT not updating a pass to the nta for relicensing?, I am, did the NCT last Wednesday and it hasn't updated yet, I rang the nta they know about the problem and asked me to email proof of the nct pass, i did that but it turns out that now won't do. It's spreading to other drivers now that have done an nct, my license expires Thursday night. They said no late fee . I asked them could you send me an email so I can show the enforcement fellas they said you cannot work after Thursday , then I said I'll want compensation if this goes on , so we'll see. They fuck up I suffer.

Just phoned the nta licence renewal...booked licence renewal for next week    nct done yesterday was updated on ther system

[Belker]

No Ken .The MINISTER as in the MINISTER said in the Dail no driver would be off the Road .What the NCT has done is possibly Illegal .They have favoured certain drivers over others who hold identical licences .This is not over I still have the Ombudsman and I might tahe a day in court meself to challenge the legality of the NTA actions.

I was given succour by the Minister for Transports reply to a Dail Question on this issue which was NOT Time dependent but the NTA have imposed a time limit that was not implied by the Relevant Minister  .

This raises the question .Who is in charge the minister or some fat ankled youngone in an office off of Stephens Green ?Would we accept if the Minister for health said all women were entitled to breast scanning and then some Doctor said as long as they are good looking ?

I really don't fancy your chances of winning this one John m, but best of luck with it.

Give the link below a read;
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2022-09-22/1/

[Rat Catcher]

On behalf of the Minister of State for Transport, Mr. Jack Chambers T.D., I refer further to your recent correspondence.

 

The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including vehicle age limits for SPSVs, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. The Minister of State has no role in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV industry.

Regulations made by the NTA in 2010 first established a maximum permissible age of 10 years for new standard taxis and hackneys. The ten-year rule was adopted in recognition of the need to strike a balance between achieving standards that offer the customer confidence, comfort, and safety, and allowing industry members to operate successfully. 

 

The NTA's extension of age limits during Covid-19 was an emergency measure of a temporary nature, taken in recognition of the particular challenges posed by the pandemic and was specifically aimed at ensuring that no operator would be required to change their vehicle while passenger demand remained low due to the pandemic. 

A series of global circumstances during 2022 had, in the NTA’s view, considerably worsened the capability of taxi and hackney licence holders to secure new vehicles. Therefore, the NTA further temporarily extended the maximum permissible age for taxis and hackneys so that no current vehicle licence holder would be forced out of the industry because a replacement vehicle could not be purchased.  They did this by introducing Regulations on 18 November 2022, the purpose of which is to amend Regulation 31 (Maximum Permissible Age Requirements) of the Taxi Regulation (Small Public Service Vehicle) Regulations 2015.



The 2022 Regulations provide for a graduated return to the ten-year age limit, with vehicles whose 10-year limit was originally in 2020 or 2021 now extended to 2025, those whose original limit is in 2022 or 2023 now extended to 2026 and those whose original limit will be reached in 2024 extended to 2027.   



The NTA has contacted SPSV licence holders to confirm the new final operation date of their current licensed vehicle. This amendment was made as an exceptional provision and contingency measure, as a result of vehicle supply issues. The NTA does not anticipate introducing any further maximum permissible age extensions.

 

 

Yours sincerely,



Patrick Leonard

 

Private Secretary to Minister of State Jack Chambers TD

 

Again used way more words than I suggested... but told you the same thing!

[John m]

My Question is nothing to do with the taxithingey stupidity but Is it Legal to offer one licence holder an advantage over a similar licence holder .Just because they did it does not mean it is legal .There could be an issue for compensation for some drivers who saw their competition unfairly subsidised .

I might take a trip into the courts but it could be down to timing .The longer I wait the issue could be sub judice and the Taxithingies hands could be tied on the issue if it is before a Court for adjudication .

I will have to look up or get some assistance with Commercial Law and State Subsidies .