Thai Tuk Tuks in Ireland - licensing, what category, etc?

hatrickpatrick

For anyone not familiar, this is a tuk tuk:
http://davetheravebangkok.com/images/Tuk_Tuk_Taxi_Bangkok_Thailand_01.jpg

Does anybody know if it would be possible to get one of these in Ireland or import it, what kind of license / vehicle category would you need and what about tax and insurance etc?

Second question - if you actually were going to use it as a mini taxi like they do in Thailand, would you need a normal taxi license or would it be more like a bus or minibus type of arrangement?


All of this hypothetical of course, just got home from Thailand holiday and withdrawal symptoms from tuk tuk rides are already setting in ;D

biko

I've seen them around, but used a for coffee instead of taxis. At least I think it's a tuk tuk.

Chris P. Bacon

You came back from Thailand and your first thought was importing a tuk tuk..you should of went to Pattaya

Andrew33

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

For anyone not familiar, this is a tuk tuk:
http://davetheravebangkok.com/images/Tuk_Tuk_Taxi_Bangkok_Thailand_01.jpg

Does anybody know if it would be possible to get one of these in Ireland or import it, what kind of license / vehicle category would you need and what about tax and insurance etc?

Second question - if you actually were going to use it as a mini taxi like they do in Thailand, would you need a normal taxi license or would it be more like a bus or minibus type of arrangement?


All of this hypothetical of course, just got home from Thailand holiday and withdrawal symptoms from tuk tuk rides are already setting in ;D

If you were to use the vehicle for hire, it would have to comply with regulations regarding safety, number of doors, fixed roof, seat belts etc etc etc, I'd hazard a guess that a tuk tuk would fail miserably on all counts. Also, you would need to be licenced to operate a Small Public Service Vehicle.

ArphaRima

I do think its an intriguing question though.

Could all of the usual safety and environmental guff be bypassed by getting one in under a classic or homebuilt loophole?

You could never operate it as a taxi, but as a personal vehicle? Priceless!

Trappers Son

Haha It would be priceless but if ur not around drive a quad around IM SURE you couldnt drive a TUK TUK around! WOuld be serious bant but!

Andrew33

Trappers Son wrote: »

Haha It would be priceless but if ur not around drive a quad around IM SURE you couldnt drive a TUK TUK around! WOuld be serious bant but!

Who says you can't drive a Quad on the road? once it has the required lights/mudguards/registraton they can be driven onroad. I think you could import a tuk tuk and drive it here on a motorbike licence but the novelty would soon wear off. The OP is wrapping his warm fuzzy holiday memories around what is a horribly uncomfortable/unsafe mode of transport and a week driving one in good ole Eire would soon show that.

Del2005

Andrew33 wrote: »

Who says you can't drive a Quad on the road? once it has the required lights/mudguards/registraton they can be driven onroad. I think you could import a tuk tuk and drive it here on a motorbike licence but the novelty would soon wear off. The OP is wrapping his warm fuzzy holiday memories around what is a horribly uncomfortable/unsafe mode of transport and a week driving one in good ole Eire would soon show that.

Quads are in a gray area in Ireland. They are road legal yet nearly impossible to insure, unless your a farmer, which makes it difficult to legally drive them on the road.

I'd love to see the OP trying to get a TucTuc through the Taxi Suitability NCT

Trappers Son

Andrew33 wrote: »

Who says you can't drive a Quad on the road? once it has the required lights/mudguards/registraton they can be driven onroad. I think you could import a tuk tuk and drive it here on a motorbike licence but the novelty would soon wear off. The OP is wrapping his warm fuzzy holiday memories around what is a horribly uncomfortable/unsafe mode of transport and a week driving one in good ole Eire would soon show that.

Ah, Ive just seen petitions saying they should be aloud on the roads... Wouln't have it myself! Fell down a mountain under one in Thailand!! Although rather that than being under a tuk tuk

Andrew33

Trappers Son wrote: »

Ah, Ive just seen petitions saying they should be aloud on the roads... Wouln't have it myself! Fell down a mountain under one in Thailand!! Although rather that than being under a tuk tuk

Petitions for what? Quads?
I've seen quads on the roads here in Dublin (county) with lights, reg plate etc.
Maybe they have to be registered to a company for commercial use?

topper75

The commercial pedal-driven rickshaws in Galway seem to be untouchable by laws or regs. They even cycle around and night with no lighting whatsoever on board.

A motor might well change everything of course. Intriguing question indeed.

Trappers Son

Ah, maybe im just wide off the mark.. thought they werent road legal..

Soz

Paparazzo

They would be a great idea, they obviously take up less room than a car, so they'd ease congestion. They also run on gas, so less pollution. But the safety police would never allow it, either would the taxi lobby groups

Crazy Taxi

Paparazzo wrote: »

But the safety police would never allow it, either would the taxi lobby groups

Yeah, like everyone listens to what the taxi groups say:rolleyes:

Regarding the pedal cycles in Galway, I presume they're like the "free" eco taxis in Dublin, the operators get around the licencing laws by being "free", you just hand over a heavy tip.
I wonder what would happen in the event of an accident in one of them rickshaw yokes? Do the operators have public liability insurance? you can bet your ass they don't.

keithclancy

Since 2007, tuk-tuks have been active in the Netherlands, starting with Amsterdam. They now operate in Amsterdam, The Hague, Zandvoort, Bergen op Zoom, the popular beach resort Renesse and Rotterdam. All of the tuk-tuks in the Netherlands are imported from India and Thailand. They are fitted with CNG engines and have passed the EURO-4 rules

Also the TukTuk company sell them here:
http://www.tuktukcompany.nl/

You can drive it on a 'B' License here. Noisy yolks though.