Taxis Act (Northern Ireland) 2008

Regulations concerning taxis or use of taxis

20.—(1) The Department may make regulations generally as to taxis or as to the use of taxis in standing or plying for hire or reward or to carry passengers for hire or reward, and such regulations may apply to taxis generally or to taxis of a particular class or to taxis of a particular class of use.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), regulations may, in particular, make provision for any of the following purposes—

(a) providing that only taxis of such class or class of use as may be prescribed may stand at places which may be used as stands for taxis or (in connection with the operation of a taxi service) make use of such other places as may be prescribed;

(b) providing that only taxis of such class or class of use as may be prescribed may stand or ply for hire or reward within such distance as may be prescribed of any such places referred to in paragraph (a);

(c) enforcing order at and regulating the use of places referred to in paragraph (a);

(d) providing for persons to manage, and regulating the management of, the use of places referred to in paragraph (a);

(e) regulating the display of signs, information and fares at places referred to in paragraph (a);

(f) prescribing the distance for which and circumstances in which drivers of taxis shall be obliged to carry passengers for hire or reward;

(g) regulating the manner in which taxis are to be identified (which may include regulating the colour of taxis);

(h) regulating the number of persons who may be carried in any taxi, the space to be allotted to each such person, and the manner in which such number and space are to be indicated upon the taxi;

(i) regulating the manner in which taxis are to be furnished or fitted;

(j) ensuring that taxis are fit for use to stand or ply for hire or reward or to carry passengers for hire or reward

(k) ensuring the safety of persons carried in taxis;

(l) providing for the inspection and testing of taxis for the purpose of ensuring that they are fit for use to stand or ply for hire or reward or to carry passengers for hire or reward and that persons may safely be carried in them;

(m) regulating the advertising on, in, for or in respect of taxis (and for the purposes of this section, “advertising” includes every form of advertising (whatever the medium));

(n) regulating any monitoring or surveillance for or in respect of taxis;

(o) regulating the conduct of passengers and of persons employed in connection with taxis;

(p) securing the safe custody and delivery to its owner of any property accidentally left in taxis and fixing the charges to be paid in respect of safe-keeping and delivery and empowering prescribed persons to cause such property to be sold, or given to the finder, in the event of its not being claimed within a prescribed time.

(3) If a person acts in contravention of any regulations under this section, and the contravention is not made an offence under any other statutory provision, the person is guilty of an offence.