CRIMINALS AND FRAUDSTERS operating in the taxi industry will face new regulatory measures under a review of the sector to be completed next month, the government has said.

Authorities will have new powers to suspend taxi operators’ licenses under the new regime, according to junior minister Alan Kelly. At present there is no way to suspend taxi licenses, and they can only be revoked under what Minister Kelly called “extreme circumstances”.

The review is also expected to recommend tighter controls on people with criminal records entering the industry, measures to restrict businesses whereby drivers rent taxis, and stricter license requirements to ensure operators are not committing benefit or tax fraud.

There will be “a whole range of measures” forthcoming to combat “rogue operators”, Minister Kelly said. “Among the priorities will be to establish the conditions under which a taxi licence can be suspended. There are none currently so it is only in quite extreme circumstances that a licence can be revoked.

“I am confident we can develop a much better system of regulation of the taxi sector for both the public and drivers alike and where certain categories of criminals will no longer be allowed operate in the sector.”

The taxi review group, which comprises government officials, community group members, taxi industry representatives and garda traffic officers, was set up earlier this year after a Prime Time Investigates programme exposed disturbing practices in the industry.

Read more: Major clean up of ‘disturbing’ taxi industry practices under way>