The Department for Infrastructure has made a Statutory Order entitled “The Taxi Driver (Coronavirus, Financial Assistance) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021” (S.R. 2021 No. 33), which comes into operation on 12th February 2021.

The First Minister and deputy First Minister, acting jointly, made a determination on 3rd November 2020 that exceptional circumstances exist for holders of a taxi driver licence, including financial hardship arising from the loss of business, as a consequence of the outbreak of Coronavirus. Accordingly, the Taxi Driver (Coronavirus, Financial Assistance) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 (S.R. 2020 No. 249) provided for the setting up of a Scheme, “the Taxi Driver Financial Assistance Scheme 2020”, under which the Department for Infrastructure made financial assistance payments to eligible holders of a taxi driver licence towards directly incurred overhead costs and expenses. This initial Scheme covered the 22nd March to 30th September 2020 period.

On 20th January 2021, the First Minister and deputy First Minister, acting jointly, made a further determination recognising that exceptional circumstances continue to exist for holders of a taxi driver licence, including financial hardship arising from the loss of business, as a consequence of the Coronavirus pandemic.

These Regulations therefore provide for the setting up of a further Scheme “the Taxi Driver Financial Assistance Scheme 2021” under which the Department for Infrastructure may make financial assistance payments to eligible holders of a taxi driver licence who have suffered because of the exceptional circumstances identified over the 22nd March 2020 to 21st March 2021 period. While the eligibility criteria and payment amounts have been revised for this further Scheme, the basis of the Scheme remains the same as before, i.e. to provide financial assistance in relation to directly incurred overhead costs and expenses.

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.