Any truth in this

Mad_maxx · 05-01-2022 8:21pm #1

Speaking to a cousin of mine over Xmas and he told me how he is going to apply for a hackney licence.

He claims that there is a set list of cars ( on national transport authority website) which you can have in order to be granted a licence and that not one of them is an EV ?

That sounds truly bizarre if indeed correct, he was hoping to provide a Hackney service using an EV.

10-10-20 · 05-01-2022 8:38pm

I'll take it to mean that a "hackney" is a taxi in this day & age.

Sounds like a pile of codswallop. Was he running out of discussion points?

https://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/eSPSV-Grant-2021-Vehicle-Suitable-List-Nov-10-2021-Published.pdf

https://www.nationaltransport.ie/taxi/forms-and-guides/

Mad_maxx · 05-01-2022 9:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118423150#Comment_118423150

Says " the listing does not apply to local Hackney vehicles " so how is this a rebuttal?

tu2j2 · 05-01-2022 9:22pm

A Hackney is not the same thing as a taxi.

This is the list I found, don't know if its right or not but it does have a certain amount of EV's on it

https://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/DLAH_Model_Report_Database.pdf

KCross · 05-01-2022 9:26pm

There appear to be two types of Hackney licence… “local area hackney” and “hackney”. The latter seems to be covered under the grant scheme, the former isn’t.

The last column of this table shows hackney as being approved for the BEVs

https://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Suitable_Vehicle_List_22_12_2021.pdf

I presume someone on the forum will have gone through it so let’s see what they say.

10-10-20 · 05-01-2022 9:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118423379#Comment_118423379

I stand corrected. Thought hackneys went away back in ~2005!

Mad_maxx · 05-01-2022 10:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118423379#Comment_118423379

I know full well a hackney is not the same as a taxi, I specifically referred to a hackney licence in opening post

Mad_maxx · 06-01-2022 11:02pm

Talking to cousin again.

He spoke to someone who knew what they were talking about today.

List only applied to cats which were eligible for a grant and that only applies to a general hackney licence where wheelchair compatibility is now mandatory for newly granted licences.

This guy only seeking local area licence so no grant available but no obligation to convert for wheelchair accessibility

Gumbo · 06-01-2022 11:45pm

The reason being you cannot ply for work in a hackney. It must be through a registered dispatch and bookings only.

hackneys disappeared in Dublin years ago e once the SPSV plates were reduced to €6300.

no wheelchair requirements (WAV) for hacknies, but as you mention, no grants either.

grants also must have a registered SPSV driver, so your cousin would have to get an SPSV licence for that to happen.

sounds like your cousin heard a snippet of another conversation with regards to the SPSV EV grant and misunderstood it.

there’s also the limo route but restrictions apply to car type too.

Mad_maxx · 07-01-2022 12:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430553#Comment_118430553

I knew all that , need to prove there is a public need in area too in order to acquire a licence

Journeys must be booked in advance but pretty sure you can operate from home ,no need for office?

Gumbo · 07-01-2022 9:32am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430695#Comment_118430695

It could be possible under the Local Hackney rules now a days.

Years ago, you had to have a dispatch that was registered with the NTA (Taxi Regulator at that time).

would there be a business for it in your local rural town?

Mad_maxx · 07-01-2022 11:03am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118431454#Comment_118431454

Tonnes of business

Dubwat · 07-01-2022 6:39pm

I'm a Dublin taxi driver so the LAH was never going to affect me but I always got the impression it was just a sop to rural pub owners etc so they could drive their own customers home. The licence was dirt cheap but very restrictive in the area you could operate.

LAH Guidelines:

https://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Guide_for_obtaining_a_local_area_hackney_licence1.pdf

It never took off. As of Dec 2021, there are approx 19,000 PSV's in Ireland and only 21 are LAH's

https://www.nationaltransport.ie/taxi/statistics-and-legislation/vehicle-licences-county-and-category/

If your cousin can hang on for a few years, the NTA will probably start issuing licence for saloon taxis again. The age profile of taxi drivers is not getting any younger... (pg.11 https://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/NTA-Taxi-Statistics-2020-2.pdf )

Mad_maxx · 07-01-2022 7:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118434929#Comment_118434929

He sees little downside risk ,if it's unsuccessful ( licence application or just business afterwards), he stil has a decent family EV which he won't have spent anything on ,obviously insurance is hefty

Trouble with the general hackney licence as opposed to the local one , they aren't issuing any new ones unless you modify you're car to facilitate wheel chairs ,his EV isn't big enough to modify to allow wheelchair access so not really what he is aiming for

I know there is a grant to modify but not for any EV as things stand

Gumbo · 07-01-2022 10:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118435252#Comment_118435252

One litte issue may be the devaluation of the car due to its LAH status which will show up in all searches and its history.

Gumbo · 07-01-2022 10:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118434929#Comment_118434929

I've asked local TD reps about alterations to the NTA Rules that prohibit the transfer of standard PSV Licences.

I have a few in my family ( id one 3 SPSV EV Grants in 2021 alone) and i have a couple of others that wont change as they will see out their career in their current car. But their licences will die with them (ignoring the nomination form).

They should allow transfers again to allow people just about to retire or get out to sell on their plate to someone entering the business.

The Industry is somewhat protected then, as an additional licence is not issued and there fore numbers remain meaning (in theory) more work for the full timers.

Mad_maxx · 08-01-2022 12:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118436160#Comment_118436160

Very true but its only an MG so not like it was expensive in the first place, taxi men seem to like them so could always sell on to someone in that sector if local Hackney business proved not worth it

Or else just keep the car

Gumbo · 08-01-2022 1:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118438369#Comment_118438369

Yes very popular in Dublin too because of the grant. We could of had these on the road for €10,400 with the taxi grant but questionable warranty and problems in the uk with rusting and cars not being bake too be fixed made us stump up the extra for the eNiros.

the new facelift is much better looking and the bigger battery now makes it a very attractive package at €31,995 RRP

A taxi man or woman could have one in the road now for about €11,500

Mad_maxx · 08-01-2022 1:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118438661#Comment_118438661

All new licences being granted requires the car to be wheelchair accessible for to receive grant and as yet no EV makes the list of which cars are even eligible for grant or at least that's what transport authority told my cousin?

maestroamado · 08-01-2022 1:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118423650#Comment_118423650

The hackneys are the up-market end of the trade... they don't solicit business... if you know what i mean....

Mad_maxx · 08-01-2022 1:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118438673#Comment_118438673

In rural areas , all trips would be arranged in advance, no cruising up and down a village

Gumbo · 08-01-2022 2:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118438671#Comment_118438671

I’m not a new licence holder.

we have a few long term PSV licences.

we got 3 eNiros on the road for less than €18k each.

one MG5 for €10,400, hence why I know I prefer the eNiro personally.

if your cousin wanted a Taxi Licence he would have to enter the industry with a WAV alright. That’s true.

I have not looked into the EV side of things on the WAV front as it doesn’t effect me. I’d say the biggest problem is the alteration of the vehicle to WAV standards and then the engineers sign off is very hard to get on an EV due to the HV System.

Mad_maxx · 08-01-2022 2:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118438818#Comment_118438818

Transport authority told my cousin the car must be wheel chair accessible if applying for a hackney licence first time round, local area hackney licence exempt,add to that they told him that as of yet no EV,s are eligible for grant in terms of conversion?, also told him no grant available if only seeking a local Hackney licence ,maybe he was talking to an idiot?

An E Niro would surely be too small to convert for wheelchair accessibility?

Gumbo · 08-01-2022 2:22pm

You can’t convert an eNiro. We have standard PSV licences. We don’t have WAV restrictions.

Mad_maxx · 08-01-2022 2:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118438843#Comment_118438843

Well he was told that the new rules dictate that in order to be granted a hackney licence ( local area hackney licence exempt) , the car must be able to provide wheelchair access?

Also told him no grant available if only seeking a local area hackney licence?

I'm not saying the above is factually correct but it's what he was told so he won't have his MG on road for 10 k

Gumbo · 10-01-2022 3:28pm

Correct. All new applications have to be WAV.

Mad_maxx · 10-01-2022 4:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118449694#Comment_118449694

That would then rule a new entrant out from claiming a grant on the likes of a MG ZS?

Even you went for the wider covering hackney licence, you couldn't convert a MG ZS for wheelchair access?

Need something like a Seat Alhambra?

I realise local area hackney does not need to have wheelchair accessible vehicle but bar now quite high for anyone bar those seeking a mere local Hackney licence

Gumbo · 10-01-2022 7:51pm

Yes. A new entrant would need something that’s WAV. There’s loads of examples but all are ICE I think.

No new entrant can avail of the SPSV Grant currently. It’s encouraging existing industry operatives to convert to EV.

Any truth in this

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