The Department for Infrastructure has made a Statutory Rule entitled “The Taxi Licensing (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020” (S.R. 2020 No. 64), which comes into operation on 10th April 2020.

These Regulations amend the Taxi Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 (“the 2015 Regulations”) in order to ensure that the renewal of existing taxi licences can continue during the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) public health emergency.

The 2015 Regulations provide for the inspection and testing of taxis in advance of the granting of an annual taxi licence under section 13 of the Taxis Act (Northern Ireland) 2008. However the current public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that all Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) testing centres have been closed for the protection of both customers and staff, and it is therefore not possible to inspect or test taxis in advance of the grant of a new taxi licence.

Taxis have been prescribed as a business that can remain open in Part 3 of Schedule 2 to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2020 (S.R. 2020 No. 55). Accordingly, and in order to ensure that currently licenced taxis can continue to operate if their licences expire during the emergency, these Regulations provide for the automatic renewal of a taxi licence, without a further inspection and test. This licence will last for a period of 6 months. The additional conditions, as set out in the Schedule to these Regulations, apply in relation to all automatically renewed licences. No fee will be charged where an automatic licence renewal is granted.

Copies of the Rule may be purchased from the Stationery Office at www.tsoshop.co.uk or by contacting TSO Customer Services on 0333 202 5070 or viewed online at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr.