This page details your responsibilities and customer rights when you operate a taxi, hackney or limousine.
Operator Rights
As a SPSV operator, it is your right to:
- Reasonably refuse to carry a passenger where that passenger’s proposed journey is more than 30 kilometres in distance from the commencement of the journey. This applies to operators who are standing for hire or plying for hire.
- Calculate a fare by means other than a taximeter in circumstances other than where the vehicle is standing for hire or plying for hire, where there is a prior written agreement between the driver or operator and the consumer confirming;
- The charge for a pre-booked service,
- That the consumer waives in writing his or her right to have the fare calculated on the taximeter.
- Refuse to carry an Assistance Dog or a Guide Dog in your vehicle only where that driver has furnished to the Commission for Taxi Regulation, in advance of the refusal, a written statement from a registered medical practitioner certifying that the driver concerned is medically unfit to carry a dog in his or her vehicle.
- The driver of a vehicle used as a public hire vehicle may refuse to carry or request to leave the vehicle;
- Any passenger or intending passenger who is conducting, or can reasonably be expected to conduct, himself in the vehicle in a disorderly or offensive manner, or
- Any passenger or intending passenger whose clothing is likely to soil or damage the interior of the vehicle.
- You have the right to be paid the lawful fare for the services rendered.
- Where a driver is requested to wait in a place the driver may inquire from and be informed by the hirer of the length of time that he is to wait, and may demand and receive from the hirer either the lawful fare for the services theretofore rendered by him or the lawful fare for such services together with the lawful fare for waiting for the said length of time.
- The driver may terminate the hiring of his vehicle whenever the hirer fails or refuses to pay a lawful fare
- The driver of a public service vehicle, or a member of the Garda Síochána acting on the request of such driver, may remove from the vehicle any person who contravenes any provision of this Part IV of 191/1963 Regulations.
- A Taxi or Wheelchair Accessible Taxi may display advertising.
- A Taxi or Wheelchair Accessible taxi may use a (with flow only) bus lane. The use of contra-flow bus lanes is not permitted.
Operator Responsibilities
As a SPSV operator it is your responsibility to:
- Not to unreasonably refuse service for journeys under 30k; (please note that this requirement does not apply in the case of pre-booked services).
- Not charge more than the metered fare unless a customer has waived, in writing, their right to have the fare charged on the meter.
- The driver of a taxi or a wheelchair accessible taxi shall not operate as a small public service vehicle unless the taximeter fitted to the vehicle he or she is driving is properly calibrated in accordance with the current maximum fare.
- When a maximum fares order is made by the Commission for Taxi Regulation, the holder of a taxi or wheelchair accessible taxi licence has a period of 21 days from the date on which the maximum fares order comes into operation within which to calibrate his or her taximeter in relation to the current maximum fare.
- Not charge more than the agreed fare when travelling by hackney or limousine;
- Follow direction or route chosen.
- Carry a guide dog/mobility aid at no extra charge;
- Be courteous and helpful;
- Be well presented;
- Know the major routes and destinations;
- Drive a clean and roadworthy vehicle;
- Display a Tamper proof disc when such a disc has been provided;
- Display new licence number within 28 days of issue;
- Comply with regulations in relation to seatbelts.
- Give a printed receipt on payment for taxi journey, and to give a written receipt on payment at the end of a hackney or limousine journey. Read more information on receipt requirements.
- Display driver identification card with required info as determined and when supplied by the Commission for Taxi Regulation
- Display in-vehicle information as required and supplied by the Commission for Taxi Regulation. Information referred to includes:
- The rights and obligations of consumers relevant to the class of small public service vehicle concerned;
- In taxis, details of the current maximum fare;
- The vehicle licence number;
- Such other information as may be determined and supplied by the Commission for Taxi Regulation.