FUNDING NOW AVAILABLE FOR PROVISION OF LOCAL HACKNEY SERVICE IN RURAL AREAS

The National Transport Authority (NTA) is making funding available for the provision of localised hackney services in each of 15 Local Link* areas nationwide.

Under a pilot scheme, the NTA is offering grant funding of €6,000 to individual drivers, over twelve months to operate a localised hackney service in each of the areas.

The areas included in the pilot programme were selected by the NTA in conjunction with Local Link offices, as ones where a full time taxi or hackney service may not be currently sustainable. Applications for the funding are now being accepted by NTA.

Plans for this pilot programme were first announced in May of this year by Minister for Transport Tourism and Sport Shane Ross and the Minister of State with responsibility for Sport and Tourism, Brendan Griffin, along with the NTA.

The announcement was made in response to the low take-up under the Local Area Hackney Scheme which was first introduced in December 2013. The pilot programme announced this week seeks to simplify the application process and make the provision of a service in rural areas sustainable.

The outcome of this pilot programme will help inform NTA’s local transport plans over the next five years. The 15 designated areas are: