Explanatory Memorandum

Taxis Act (Northern Ireland) 2008

2008 CHAPTER 4

21 April 2008

Commentary on Sections

Miscellaneous and General

Part 6 provides for a number of general issues that apply to the operation of the Act and for the consequent amendments and repeals.

Under section 49, the Department may make information, held by it for the purposes of the Act, to police constables and support staff along with other prescribed persons.  The purposes for which access to the information may be given and the circumstances, in which the information may be further disclosed by those persons, will be determined in regulations made under this section.

Section 50 enables the Department to publish information about any of the provisions of the Act but before doing so it must take into consideration any recommendations made by the General Consumer Council for Northern Ireland.

Section 51 provides the Department with power to pay grants to persons or bodies that it thinks appropriate in connection with the provisions of the Act.  Section 52 provides the Department with power to make regulations on the requirement for training in connection with the provisions of the Act.

Section 54 deals with the application of certain, defined, statutory provisions to taxis to enable the provisions of the Act to take effect.  It also provides that the powers to restrict access to, and regulate motor traffic on roads in the area controlled by the Belfast Harbour Commissioners or other similar harbour areas, relates to taxis.  A member of the Belfast Harbour Police will have the same powers as a member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to enforce the provisions outlined in this section.

Sections 55 to 60 are of a general nature including interpretation of words and phrases in the Act and provision for the commencement of the Act.

Schedule 1 contains a list of the offences under the Act and the penalties for each.  These are to be inserted into Schedule 1 to the Road Traffic Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1996.

Schedule 2 contains the minor and consequential amendments to other legislation arising from the enactment of the Act.  Schedule 3 contains a list of the provisions in other legislation that are to be repealed on the enactment of the Act.