S.I. No. 139/1987 - Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations, 1987.

S.I. No. 139 of 1987.

ROAD TRAFFIC (PUBLIC SERVICE VEHICLES) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1987.

The Minister for the Environment in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 5 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961 (No. 24 of 1961) and section 82 of that Act as amended by section 57 of the Road Traffic Act, 1968 (No. 25 of 1968) hereby makes the following Regulations:—

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations, 1987.

(2) These Regulations and the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations, 1963 to 1986 shall be construed together as one and may be collectively cited as the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations, 1963 to 1987.

2. In these Regulations:—

"lighting-up hours" has the meaning assigned to it in article 2 of the Road Traffic General Bye-laws, 1964 ( S.I. No. 294 of 1964 ).

"the Principal Regulations" means the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations, 1963 ( S.I. No. 191 of 1963 ).

"the 1970 Regulations" means the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations, 1970 ( S.I. No. 200 of 1970 ).

"the 1978 Regulations" means the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Licensing) Regulations, 1978 ( S.I. No. 292 of 1978 ).

3. Article 13 of the Principal Regulations and articles 15 and 16 of the 1978 Regulations are hereby revoked.

4. (1) Sub-article (1) of article 11 of the Principal Regulations as substituted by article 3 of the 1970 Regulations is hereby amended by the substitution in paragraph (b) of the words "licence number" for the words "serial number".

(2) Sub-article (1) of article 7 of the 1978 Regulations is hereby amended by the substitution of the words "licence number" for the words "serial number".

5. (1) (a) On the granting of a public service vehicle licence, other than a licence for a public hire vehicle granted in a taximeter area on or after the 15th day of June, 1987, the Commissioner shall issue to the owner of the vehicle a plate (in these Regulations referred to as a vehicle plate) complying with the provisions of this article.

(b) A vehicle plate shall be in the form of an ellipse surrounded by a band and shall display the words "Feithicil Seirbhise Poibli" in the band and the licence number in the space within the band.

(2) The vehicle plate shall at all times be securely affixed to the public service vehicle in respect of which it is issued—

(a) in the case of a large public service vehicle on the outside of the vehicle on the left side of the vehicle as viewed from the rear and in the case of a public hire vehicle on the outside of the vehicle on the back of the vehicle, in such a manner that the face of the vehicle plate is clearly visible in daylight to a person wishing to inspect the vehicle plate while the vehicle is stationary, and

(b) in the case of a private hire vehicle, inside the vehicle in such a manner that the face of the vehicle plate is clearly visible in daylight when the vehicle is stationary, to a person wishing to inspect it without entering the vehicle.

(3) Where the Commissioner is satisfied that a vehicle plate has been lost or destroyed or has become defaced, he may issue a substitute vehicle plate to the owner of the vehicle on the production to him of a receipt that the fee payable for a substitute vehicle plate has been paid.

6. (1) Whenever a public service vehicle licence, other than a licence for a public hire vehicle granted in a taximeter area on or after the 15th day of June, 1987, ceases otherwise than through the effluxion of time to be in force, the owner of the vehicle shall within three days deliver the licence and the vehicle plate issued in respect of the vehicle to the Commissioner.

(2) Whenever a public service vehicle licence, other than a licence for a public hire vehicle granted in a taximeter area on or after the 15th day of June, 1987, ceases through the effluxion of time to be in force, the owner of the vehicle shall within three days deliver the vehicle plate issued in respect of the vehicle to the Commissioner.

(3) On the termination or removal of a suspension or on the annulment of a revocation of a public service vehicle licence, other than a licence for a public hire vehicle granted in a taximeter area on or after the 15th day of June, 1987, the Commissioner shall return the licence and the vehicle plate to the owner of the vehicle.

7. (1) On the granting by the Commissioner on or after the 15th day of June, 1987 of a public service vehicle licence in respect of a public hire vehicle in a taximeter area, the owner of the vehicle shall, while such vehicle is being operated as a public hire vehicle in that taximeter area, display on the roof of the vehicle a sign (in these Regulations referred to as a taxi sign) which shall comply with the requirements set out in the Schedule to these Regulations.

(2) A taxi sign shall be lit during lighting-up hours except when the vehicle is on hire or is standing for hire at an appointed stand provided in accordance with bye-laws made under section 84 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961 (No. 24 of 1961).

(3) On or after the 15th day of June, 1988 a public hire vehicle shall not be operated as a public hire vehicle in a taximeter area unless a taxi sign is displayed on the roof of the vehicle in compliance with these Regulations.

(4) A taxi sign shall at no time be so defaced, obscured or altered in such a manner that the word "TAXI" or the licence number are rendered illegible or partly illegible.

8. (1) Whenever a public hire vehicle licence granted on or after the 15th day of June, 1987 in respect of a public hire vehicle in a taximeter area ceases otherwise than through the effluxion of time to be in force, the owner of the vehicle shall immediately upon cessation of the licence cease to display the taxi sign and within seven days shall deliver the licence issued in respect of the vehicle and the taxi sign to the Commissioner.

(2) Whenever a public hire vehicle licence granted on or after the 15th day of June, 1987 in respect of a public hire vehicle in a taximeter area ceases through the effluxion of time to be in force, the owner of the vehicle shall immediately upon cessation of the licence cease to display the taxi sign and within seven days shall deliver such sign to the Commissioner.

(3) On the termination or removal of a suspension or on the annulment of a revocation of a public hire vehicle licence granted on or after the 15th day of June, 1987 in respect of a public hire vehicle in a taximeter area the Commissioner shall return the licence and the taxi sign to the owner.

9. Sub-article (2) of article 5, sub-articles (1) and (2) of article 6, article 7, and sub-articles (1) and (2) of article 8 of these Regulations shall be penal regulations.

SCHEDULE

Article 7.

REQUIREMENTS TO BE COMPLIED WITH IN RELATION TO A TAXI SIGN.

1. The sign shall be constructed of a durable material, be weatherproof and capable of being securely mounted on the roof of the vehicle so that it is not subject to vibration likely to damage the electric light installation required under paragraph 4 of this Schedule.

2. The dimensions of the sign shall be such that the surface of the sign which is capable of being illuminated shall not be more than 120 millimetres approximately and not less than 110 millimetres approximately in height and not more than 1,100 millimetres approximately in length.

3. (a) The front and rear faces of the sign shall each be divided into three sections of equal size.

(b) The central sections on each face of the sign shall display the word "TAXI" in yellow letters on a dark blue background of low light transmittance; each letter shall be approximately 89 millimetres high and be of straight strokes approximately 16 millimetres broad; the total width of every letter except the letter "I" shall be approximately 63 millimetres and the spacing between the nearest parts of adjoining letters shall be approximately 13 millimetres.

(c) The sections of the sign on the left of the sign as viewed from the rear of the vehicle and on the right of the sign as viewed from the front shall have a yellow background and shall display on that background in black letters or numerals as the case may be—

(i) the licence number, each numeral of which shall be approximately 89 millimetres in height; the strokes for each numeral shall be approximately 16 millimetres broad; the total width of every numeral except the numeral "1" shall be approximately 63 millimetres and the spacing between the nearest parts of adjoining numerals shall be approximately 7 millimetres,

(ii) below the licence number the words "Feithicil Seirbhise Poibli", and the name in the Irish language of the taximeter area in which the vehicle is licensed to operate as a public hire vehicle, and

(iii) to the left or right hand side of the licence number, the words "licence number".

(d) No letter or numeral displayed on the remaining sections of each face of the sign shall exceed 70 millimetres in height.

4. (a) The sign shall be capable of being lit by means of an internal electric light installation.

(b) The sign when lit shall not show a red light to the front or a white light to the rear.

(c) The sign when lit shall emit a diffused light and shall be designed to emit a light of a brightness not exceeding 400 candela per square metre of the illuminated area of the sign.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for the Environment this

27th day of May, 1987.

PADRAIG FLYNN,

Minister for the Environment.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations provide for the format and display of a roof sign (to be called a taxi sign) on all public hire vehicles operating in taximeter areas after 8th June, 1987.

The Regulations also re-state, with slight amendments, provisions relating to vehicle plates in respect of all other public service vehicles and amend the provisions relating to the information to be contained in public service vehicle licences.