Citation, commencement and interpretation

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Public Service Vehicles (Conditions of Fitness, Equipment and Use) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 and shall come into operation on 5^th July 2010.

2. In these Regulations "the principal Regulations" means the Public Service Vehicles (Conditions of Fitness, Equipment and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995(3).

Amendment to regulation 2 (interpretation)

3. In regulation 2 of the principal Regulations–

(a) after the definition of "licence" insert–

""licensed for private hire" in relation to a taxi means licensed to carry passengers for hire but not for standing or plying for hire on a road or public place;";

(b) after the definition of "stage carriage" insert–

""stretched limousine" means a taxi licensed for private hire which has a passenger compartment that has been lengthened following its original construction;";

(c) after the definition of "vehicle" insert–

""vehicle examiner" means an examiner appointed by the Department under Article 74 of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;".

Amendment to regulation 39 (general construction and condition)

4. For Regulation 39(5)(b) of the principal Regulations substitute–

"(b) a steering wheel; and".

Amendment to regulation 51 (roof signs)

5.–(1) Regulation 51 of the principal Regulations is amended as follows.

(2) In paragraph (5)–

(a) at the end of sub-paragraph (b) after "Belfast;" omit "or";

(b) at the end of sub-paragraph (c) add–

"or

(d) is a stretched limousine.".

Amendment to regulation 61 (calculation of maximum seating capacity)

6. In regulation 61(6) of the principal Regulations for "In determining" substitute "In the determination by a vehicle examiner of".

Revocation

7. Regulation 39(6) of the principal Regulations is revoked.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the Public Service Vehicles (Conditions of Fitness, Equipment and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 ("the principal Regulations").

Regulation 3 inserts a definition for licensed for private hire, stretched limousine and vehicle examiner into regulation 2 (interpretation) of the principal Regulations.

Regulation 4 amends regulation 39(5) (general construction and conditions) of the principal Regulations by removing the current requirement that all taxis must be right hand drive.

Regulation 5 amends regulation 51(5) (roof signs) of the principal Regulations to include stretched limousines to the list of vehicles to which regulation 51 does not apply.

Regulation 6 amends regulation 61(6) (calculation of maximum seating capacity) of the principal Regulations to allow a vehicle examiner to determine the number of passengers that a vehicle can suitably seat when granting a licence for such number of passengers.

Regulation 7 revokes regulation 39(6) (general construction and condition) of the principal Regulations which defines the meaning of forward-facing front seat.