TRANSPORT MINISTER EAMON Ryan has announced a €6.5 million support package for taxi, hackney and limousine operators. 

The new sectoral package, developed in consultation with the advisory committee on Small Public Service Vehicles (SPSV), will provide the following: 

• €3 million for the continued waiver of vehicle licence fees in 2022
• €2 million for a once-off Motor Tax Refund scheme, specifically for taxi and hackney operators
• €1.5 million for an NCT fee refund scheme

“There is no doubt that Covid-19 has had a detrimental effect on our taxi industry. While our society now begins to recover from the impacts of this pandemic, I am keen to remove as many cost barriers as possible for our SPSV drivers to return to work,” Ryan said. 

“The €6.5 million financial package I have announced today will give operators the consistent support they require over the rest of this year and into the year 2022,” he said. 

In addition to the supports for the SPSV industry, the government has maintained a some supports with broad eligibility criteria for individuals and businesses which have been adversely affected by Covid-19. 

Many of these supports can be accessed by taxi drivers and include the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and the Enterprise Support Grant. 

The PUP will continue to allow self-employed people, including SPSV drivers, to earn up to €960 over an eight-week period, net of expenses, while retaining their full PUP entitlement. This scheme has been extended to February 2022. 

The Enterprise Support Grant will continue to provide business owners and self-employed drivers with a grant of up to €1,000 to restart their business which was closed as a result of the pandemic. 

Claimants of the grant in 2020 who subsequently found themselves back on the PUP in 2021 will now also be able to access the €1,000 grant for a second time if they close their PUP payment on or after 1 June 2021.