The Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations, 1963 to 1995 provides for both the licensing of public service vehicles and the licensing of drivers of small public service vehicles.
Public service vehicles are divided into small public service vehicles, which have seating accommodation for eight or less passengers, and large public service vehicles, which have seating accommodation for more than eight passengers.
There are three types of small public service vehicle licences — taxi, wheelchair accessible taxi and hackney licences. Small public service vehicle licences are granted by local authorities as licensing authorities under the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations, 1995. These licences remain in force for a period of two years. Before a licensing authority can grant or renew a taxi, wheelchair accessible taxi or hackney licence the applicant must pay the appropriate fee, provide the appropriate vehicle certificate issued by the Garda Commissioner stating that the vehicle is suitable to be licensed as such and must satisfy the licensing authority that the use of the vehicle will be covered by insurance. An application for renewal must be received by the licensing authority on or before a date six months following the date of expiry of the licence.
A licence to drive a small public service vehicle is granted by the Garda Commissioner under Article 34 of the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations, 1963, as amended. The licence remains in force for a period of one year. An application for a licence must be made in such form and manner, and contain such particulars, as the Commissioner directs and must be accompanied by a current driving licence, a receipt showing that the fee has been paid and an undertaking in writing that the applicant is available as a driver of a small public service vehicle for at least forty hours in each week and will not drive for more than eleven hours a day in any period of three consecutive days.
Before granting a small public service vehicle driver's licence, the Commissioner must, inter alia, be satisfied that the applicant is a fit and proper person, has a knowledge of general traffic regulations, the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations and the area in which he intends to operate; is not engaged in any occupation which the Commissioner considers would be likely to impair his efficiency, or to conflict with his responsibilities, or to be incompatible with his employment as such a driver, and has not been convicted of an offence which would render him unsuitable to drive a small public service vehicle.
