PART 1Preliminary

Citation and commencement

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Taxi Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 and, subject to paragraph (2), shall come into operation on 31^st May 2016.

(2) Regulations 1 to 3 and Schedule 1, insofar as that Schedule relates to those regulations, shall come into operation on 9^th May 2016.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations—

“the Act” means the Taxis Act (Northern Ireland) 2008;

“the Interpretation Act” means the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(1);

“the 1967 Act” means the Transport Act (Northern Ireland) 1967(2);

“the 1988 Act” means the Road Traffic Act 1988(3);

“the 2011 Act” means the Transport Act (Northern Ireland) 2011(4);

“approved M1 vehicle” means a vehicle which is issued with—

(a)

an EC certificate of conformity under Directive 2007/46/EC(5);

(b)

a certificate of conformity in compliance with regulations made under the 1981 Order or the 1988 Act;

(c)

a single vehicle approval certificate in compliance with regulations made under the 1981 Order or the 1988 Act; or

(d)

an individual vehicle approval certificate in compliance with the Road Vehicles (Approval) Regulations 2009(6);

“boarding lift” means a lift fitted to a taxi for the purposes of allowing wheelchair users to board and alight from the vehicle;

“boarding ramp” means a ramp fitted to a taxi for the purposes of allowing wheelchair users to board and alight from the vehicle;

“centre” means a centre provided and maintained by the Department under Article 73 of the 1995 Order;

“the Construction and Use Regulations” means the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999(7);

“Directive 2007/46/EC” means Directive 2007/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5th September 2007 establishing a framework for the approval of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles;

“entrance” means any aperture or space provided to enable passengers to board the vehicle;

“executive service” has the same meaning as in regulation 2 of the Taxi Operators Licensing Regulations(8);

“exit” means any aperture or space provided to enable passengers to leave the vehicle;

“first used” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(4) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“heavy motor car” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“maximum gross weight” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“permanent top” means any covering of a vehicle other than a hood made of canvas or other flexible material which is capable of being readily folded back so that no portion of such hood or any fixed structure of the roof remains vertically above any part of any seat of the vehicle;

“portable ramp” means a ramp which is carried on a taxi for the purposes of allowing wheelchair users to board and alight from the vehicle;

“public service vehicle licence” means a licence granted under Article 61(1) of the 1981 Order;

“the Public Service Vehicles Regulations” mean the Public Service Vehicles Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1985(9);

“the Taximeters Regulations” means the Taxis (Taximeters, Devices and Maximum Fares) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015(10);

“the Taxi Operators Licensing Regulations” means the Taxi Operators Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012(11); and

“tour service” has the same meaning as in regulation 2 of the Taxi Operators Licensing Regulations(12).

(2) For the purposes of regulation 6, section 39(2) to (7) of the Interpretation Act does not apply.

(3) For the purposes of regulations 5(3) and 10(2), section 39(8) of the Interpretation Act applies with the substitution of “Easter Tuesday” for “Good Friday”.