The Taxi Operators Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012

Conditions

7.—(1) For the purposes of section 2(5) of the 2008 Act the prescribed conditions are set out in paragraphs (2) to (9).

(2) In respect of any operating centre specified in the operator’s licence which is accessible to members of the public, the licensed operator shall maintain in force a policy of insurance against public liability risks which provides a minimum indemnity of £5,000,000 in respect of any one event.

(3) The licensed operator shall, if requested to do so by a person making an advanced taxi booking—

(a)agree the fare for the journey booked; or

(b)provide an estimate of that fare.

(4) If, during the currency of the operator’s licence—

(a)any conviction is recorded—

(i)where the licensed operator is an individual, against the licensed operator,

(ii)where the licensed operator is a firm, against any partner of that firm, or

(iii)where the licensed operator is another type of body or group of persons, against that body or group or any officer of that body or group;

(b)any information provided in the application for the grant of the licence, or for any variation thereof, changes; or

(c)any driver ceases to be available to the licensed operator for carrying out taxi bookings, by virtue of that driver’s unsatisfactory conduct in connection with the driving of a taxi,

the licensed operator shall, within 7 days of the date of such event, give the Department notice containing details of the conviction or change, as the case may be, or, in a case falling within sub-paragraph (c), the name of the driver and the circumstances of the case.

(5) The licensed operator shall not use CB apparatus in connection with an advance taxi booking at any operating centre specified in the operator’s licence or in any taxi available for carrying out taxi bookings accepted at any such operating centre.

(6) The licensed operator shall preserve all records relating to that operating centre for a period of 6 months from the date the centre ceased to be used.

(7) The licensed operator shall establish and maintain a procedure for dealing with complaints, arising in connection with any hiring accepted by the licensed operator and shall keep and preserve records in accordance with paragraph (6).

(8) Where a licensed operator provides a licensed taxi fitted with a taximeter for the purpose of carrying out an advanced taxi booking in accordance with paragraph (3) the licensed operator shall ensure any fare payable in respect of the taxi booking is less than or equal to the fare shown on the taximeter.

(9) A licensed operator shall not, in operating a taxi service, use more than the number of taxis specified in their operator’s licence or a vehicle which is not specified in their operator’s licence.

(10) A licensed operator shall not, in operating a taxi service, use a driver who is not specified as an affiliated driver in their operator’s licence.

(11) In this regulation—

“CB apparatus” means wireless telegraphy apparatus known as “Citizens’ Band” which is designed or adapted, or has facilities permitting its adaptation, for the purpose of transmitting spoken messages on the frequency band 26.1 MHz to 28 MHz; and

“wireless telegraphy apparatus” is construed in accordance with section 19(1) of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949(1).