Nine Year Rule Overturned

I Was VB

http://www.nationaltransport.ie/news.html

“Nine-year rule” for taxis

21 February 2011
The National Transport Authority assumed the functions of the Commission for Taxi Regulation on 1st January 2011.
The Board of the Authority first discussed the “nine-year rule” for taxis at its January meeting and requested that the CEO write to the Taxi Advisory Committee to ask their current views of the “nine-year rule”. That Committee met on 10th February and communicated its response to the Board.
At its meeting of 18th February 2011, the Board considered the matter fully. The Board decided to review vehicle standards in the taxi industry, and while carrying out this review, and subject to appropriate procedures being followed, to revoke the aspect of the “nine-year rule” for those renewing their vehicle licence in 2011 who applied for their first vehicle licence prior to 1st January 2009 and to allow a wide consultation on standards.
The Board of the Authority also agreed to make, as one of its priorities in 2011, a review of appropriate Vehicle Standards for Taxis for the benefit to the taxi customer.

Mr Benevolent

The 1st of April has come early this year.

mikemac

There are battered Toyotas on my local rank not heading for the scrap heap so, good for them
Not being snobbish about it but a 1993 Carina with a blanket on the back seat ain't good enough

I'm interested in this report "a review of appropriate Vehicle Standards for Taxis for the benefit to the taxi customer" when it comes out next year

Gumbo

i feel sorry for the people that already took the plunge and upgraded their cars :mad:

johnos1984

Like the vast majority of people I don't care how old the taxi is, I do care about how safe and well maintained it is and also that the driver is capable of doing the job they are being paid for.

In my experience the drivers which haven't a clue where they are going, no manners, dodgy appearance, no personality and who smell like a whores nickers are the ones who drive around in cars which shouldn't be on the road.

I've been in some very nice taxis with great drivers but it is a real shame that it can be hit and miss as regards the service you get given that the price of getting one can cost a bomb

Ricardo G

johnos1984 wrote: »

Like the vast majority of people I don't care how old the taxi is, I do care about how safe and well maintained it is and also that the driver is capable of doing the job they are being paid for.

In my experience the drivers which haven't a clue where they are going, no manners, dodgy appearance, no personality and who smell like a whores nickers are the ones who drive around in cars which shouldn't be on the road.

I've been in some very nice taxis with great drivers but it is a real shame that it can be hit and miss as regards the service you get given that the price of getting one can cost a bomb

classic

I Was VB

I Was VB wrote: »

http://www.nationaltransport.ie/news.html

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=70748708#post70748708

mickdw

I just hope my suggestion of a 5 year rule comes into force instead.
Are they for real with this statement? They have forced drivers to get off the road or upgrade if their licence happened to have expired before now whereas others could happily continue driving and now with be allowed to keep the older cars. IMO there are significant issues there.
There will be a few quid to be got for 00 E Class etc now. I assume VB has already bought the 01 Gs300 that he was crying about in the other thread

I Was VB

mickdw wrote: »

I just hope my suggestion of a 5 year rule comes into force instead.
Are they for real with this statement? They have forced drivers to get off the road or upgrade if their licence happened to have expired before now whereas others could happily continue driving and now with be allowed to keep the older cars. IMO there are significant issues there.
There will be a few quid to be got for 00 E Class etc now. I assume VB has already bought the 01 Gs300 that he was crying about in the other thread

and subject to appropriate procedures being followed, to revoke the aspect of the “nine-year rule” for those renewing their vehicle licence in 2011 who applied for their first vehicle licence prior to 1st January 2009

Its only for renewing licences, not changes of vehicles. Gee. :mad:

HevyKevy

feelingstressed wrote: »

There are battered Toyotas on my local rank not heading for the scrap heap so, good for them
Not being snobbish about it but a 1993 Carina with a blanket on the back seat ain't good enough

I'm interested in this report "a review of appropriate Vehicle Standards for Taxis for the benefit to the taxi customer" when it comes out next year

Well skip those cars on the queue then and when you meet a taxi driver with a good car get his number and make arrangements to ring him when you need a taxi. Common sense.

Personally I'd prefer a nice clean older car which is better looked after than a newer car which is not, it's a no brainer.

And another thing the reason taxi drivers use 93 Carinas is because they were bulletproof (or easily fixed) not like cars nowadays which leave experienced car mechanics scratching their heads when something goes wrong!

mondeo

I'm very disappointed about this overturn.

I Was VB

Its the belive of many that its simply a Finna Fail PR stunt to get drivers to vote FF in the general. As the minister for transport Pat Carey had a hand in this.

Either way the rule has been revoked, personally i've mixed feelings on the whole situation.

mickdw

I Was VB wrote: »

and subject to appropriate procedures being followed, to revoke the aspect of the “nine-year rule” for those renewing their vehicle licence in 2011 who applied for their first vehicle licence prior to 1st January 2009

I took this to mean drivers who have been in the business prior to 1/1/09 as it says - Who applied for their first vehicle licence prior to 1/1/09. I guess I didnt read it right and it means applied for licence for that particular car prior to 1/1/09

blacktalons

johnos1984 wrote: »

Like the vast majority of people I don't care how old the taxi is, I do care about how safe and well maintained it is and also that the driver is capable of doing the job they are being paid for.

In my experience the drivers which haven't a clue where they are going, no manners, dodgy appearance, no personality and who smell like a whores nickers are the ones who drive around in cars which shouldn't be on the road.

I've been in some very nice taxis with great drivers but it is a real shame that it can be hit and miss as regards the service you get given that the price of getting one can cost a bomb

is there something you should be telling us

meathstevie

It's about time someone starts to knock a bit of sense into the taxi regulation shambles that has been created by the former two regulators. This could be a start to common sense kicking in.

Couldn't be too much wrong with a 10 year old well looked after ten yeear old quality car.

dr.fuzzenstein

It was idiotic anyway, simply putting in a cutoff point.
It's the typical Irish way of solving things.
How can we come up with a law we can beat our chest about, that doesn't actually apply any real standards, is popular with the pub and armchair pundits banging the table and doesn't force us to actually think intelligently about this situation and come up with a real solution.
It's a bit like those signs that say "NO DUMPING HERE, 10 GAZILLION EURO FINE!"
Those signs are usually buried in meters of rubbish, but it's ok that no one ever enforces it, someone put up a sign so he can say "I will fine anyone dumping 10 gazillion Euro!".
Everyone can admire what a tough guy he is and that he "gets things done" and "bangs the table".
But other than a stupid, rusty sign buried in rubbish, there's nothing done.
This law was the same.

I Was VB

If i put out big money to buy a up to date car, and took a perfectly serviceable car off because of this rule i'd be pissed off beyond belief.

I can only imagine how drivers are feeling who are driving 08,09,10 reg's and being have to compete with a scrapper.

VolvoMan

I'm trying to work my head around this.

Does this mean that only the taxi drivers who have had their older cars up until now can hold onto them?

mickdw

VolvoMan wrote: »

I'm trying to work my head around this.

Does this mean that only the taxi drivers who have had their older cars up until now can hold onto them?

Seems that way. Reward the guys with the scrap cars and screw the guy who runs an efficient business. It really is crazy stuff.

Daegerty

feelingstressed wrote: »

There are battered Toyotas on my local rank not heading for the scrap heap so, good for them
Not being snobbish about it but a 1993 Carina with a blanket on the back seat ain't good enough

I'm interested in this report "a review of appropriate Vehicle Standards for Taxis for the benefit to the taxi customer" when it comes out next year

Just be glad there's no p1ss and sick on the back seat which will inevitably end up there at one point so it might as well happen in an old banger of a car and this probably explains the blanket

Eric Cartman

As much as I dont welcome this descision the least they could do is still impose the type requirement, and only allow older luxury cars with a really strict nct , Id have no problem getting into a 97 S class , I wouldnt touch off a 97 corolla

Daegerty

Eric Cartman wrote: »

As much as I dont welcome this descision the least they could do is still impose the type requirement, and only allow older luxury cars with a really strict nct , Id have no problem getting into a 97 S class , I wouldnt touch off a 97 corolla

Does it really matter if it gets you home?

Now if it was a Micra on the other hand (from '03 onwards) ...

Eric Cartman

I Was VB wrote: »

Still if the rule wasnt in i'd most probably be driving something like this or a S320.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1917030

thank you sir, ill be taxi'ing with you from now on

I Was VB

Eric Cartman wrote: »

As much as I dont welcome this descision the least they could do is still impose the type requirement, and only allow older luxury cars with a really strict nct , Id have no problem getting into a 97 S class , I wouldnt touch off a 97 corolla

It has to be a rule that all or none will be affected by the 9 year rule.

I'm one of the ones that would have to buy a new car in 2011, i took out a loan and have it sitting there when needs be. But there are alot of drivers who's cars needed changing before this rule came in and bought it accordingly, i can only imagine the anger they feel when the news broke today that they have to share roadspace with a junker for the next few years.

kdevitt

Its not just about the cars being roadworthy, its about them being as safe as possible for passengers. In hindsight, the 9 year rule probably wasn't the best way to enforce it.

Perhaps it should be mandatory that all taxi's have a 5 star NCAP rating instead - some of the taxis's I've been in will now remain legal, and don't even have passenger airbags in them.

Vertakill

It's shocking carry on for this to happen.

The rule itself may have pi$$ed a lot of taxi drivers off, but going back on the rule is probably after pi$$ing off even more.

I would hate to be a taxi driver with these eejits able to willy nilly change rules and regulations that have such a huge impact on peoples livelihoods.


And I'd also agree on ensuring NCAP ratings or something similar on taxi's. Last thing we want is taxi drivers having to skimp on what car they buy and buying something unsafe.

L-M

I Was VB wrote: »

I can only imagine how drivers are feeling who are driving 08,09,10 reg's and being have to compete with a scrapper.

In fairness though, they shouldn't have to compete with scrappers, as they shouldn't be allowed.

Eric Cartman

Eric Cartman wrote: »

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1917030

thank you sir, ill be taxi'ing with you from now on

I wonder would anyone be thick enough to think the Limo tax is above board for non PSV folks.

blahblah06

This is a joke should never have been overturned.

If these drivers in there old cars didn't just sit on a rank all day maybe they could afford to save a few bob to get the nice car. Absolute joke

blahblah06

blahblah06 wrote: »

This is a joke should never have been overturned.

If these drivers in there old cars didn't just sit on a rank all day maybe they could afford to save a few bob to get the nice car. Absolute joke

In fairness they are sitting in ranks because there are too many cabs

Schorpio

You don't have to take the first taxi at the rank. Just walk past the old Toyota's until you find one you like! Simples!