Taxi rule ‘will put many drivers out of business’.

AN 11th-hour moratorium should be placed on a rule that all taxis must be less than nine years old, according to the Labour Party.

The new rule, which it is estimated will affect up to 6,000 taxi drivers, or nearly a quarter of the country’s fleet, is due to come into force tomorrow . Branding the move “ill thought out”, Labour transport spokesman Joe Costello called for the National Transport Authority (NTA), which took over responsibility for taxi regulation at the beginning of this month, to declare a moratorium on the nine-year age limit “until an assessment of the sudden impact of the measure on employment in the taxi industry has taken place and until alleviating measures are explored.”

The call comes as taxi drivers have highlighted problems they are encountering in securing bank loans to purchase newer cars.

Taxi representative organisations have argued against the new rule, stating that it will put many experienced drivers out of business.

The Irish Taxi Drivers’ Federation said it is opposed to the regulation because the deciding factor should be the condition and not the year of a vehicle. The two inspections required of taxi vehicles each year and an annual National Car Test would show if the car is in a fit condition.

Criticism has also been focused on the Government’s car scrappage scheme, which allows for cars of 10 years or older to be traded in but does not allow a taxi driver whose car is between nine and 10 years old to benefit from the scheme.

“Surely the minister for transport and the minister for finance, or indeed some minister at the cabinet table, should have spotted the anomaly and sought to have the two schemes synchronised. Such a basic flaw demonstrates how dysfunctional this Government has become.”

The Commission for Taxi Regulation, which is under the auspices of the NTA, has stated the new standards are aimed at improving the safety and quality of the taxi fleet. It added that a consideration was that consumers expect consistency in vehicle quality and age and the nine-year rule is part of an ongoing series of improvements in vehicle standards by the commission.

New rules on specifications, safety, size and luggage space come into force from 2012.

The commission estimates that 24% of taxis will need to be replaced in the next year.