27/06/2025
Programme For Government 2025 key points.(Supporting Taxis and Local Transport options).
This Government will
>Collaborate with the NTA to improve local taxi service provision (local taxi service provision is getting worse)
>Support the expansion of the taxi fleet (by forcing new entrants to go wheelchair or limo licence route)
> Task the NTA with undertaking a review of the area knowledge module of the SPSV Driver entry test and make recommendations as appropriate. (Smartphones and google maps can aid with this)
> Continue the scrappage scheme to help taxi and hackney drivers replace older vehicles with electric models, supporting a greener fleet (Fail). (You are not supporting the provision of people who need wheelchair accessible transport, the last grant application system was an extreme failure). This scrappage scheme for EVS is only serving a certain section of the industry. The NTA are forcing new entrants to go wheelchair accessible vehicles which come with a big price tag and little grants available (but firing money at drivers well established in the industry already for scrappage and EVS).
Our recommendations are.
>Begin the re issuing of normal car licences but if the green agenda is forefront, issue new licences for EVS salon cars only (drivers are only going the limo route anyway.
> Issue grants for EVS and scrappage at the drivers in the fleet who wish to replace older vehicles.
>Issue grants for wheelchair accessible vehicles at the providers who want to provide this service, making drivers go down this route and giving them grants who don’t want to necessarily do this type of work only pushes the price of vehicles up and reduces grants available. It’s not improving the service for wheelchair bound passengers
> Allow the area knowledge part of driver exam to be aided by technology. Asking exam participants of what street the post office is in Lifford, can be aided by google maps. I would be able to even tell the customer the opening times and closing times of post office.
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