The State has begun consultations aimed at beginning a process by the end of next year to make all taxi vehicles wheelchair accessible. The move could well gradually bring about a "standard vehicle type" to the Irish taxi industry.
This is likely to be fought by the industry on the grounds that bespoke WATs (Wheelchair Accessible Taxis) are very expensive. However, in the notice of the review, the Department of the Environment and Local Government said: "There can be no question of the identification of a single standard vehicle type for the purpose of being licensed as a taxi."
Taxi operators here are generally against any imposition of the use of specific vehicles such as the "black taxis" used in Britain, which would cost around €54,000 here.
On the other hand, some standardisation would ensure that undersized vehicles are not used in a PSV capacity - there is anecdotal evidence that someone once tried to register a VW Polo as a taxi. At the other end of the scale, mind you, somebody out there has a BMW M5 as a taxi, and there's at least one Jaguar plying for hire with a roof-sign.
It's a very mixed up situation. Taxi and wheelchair accessible taxi licences are granted by individual licensing authorities, such as county or town councils which are responsible for the declaration and alteration of taximeter area boundaries and for setting and revising maximum taxi fare structures.
The Department of Transport is likely to assume the road safety and traffic mantle worn by the Department of Environment and Local Government up until now, including the area relating to taxis.
The testing of small PSV vehicles has gone from the Dublin Carriage Office to the NCT, though the Office still looks after complaints from passengers and lost property. Drivers are licensed by the Garda authorities at the Dublin Carriage Office.
The review will consider rationalisation of legislative and regulations, including the possibility of a single State-wide regulator.
The authorities also say there is a case for introducing a requirement that a taxi driver should be able to satisfy them that he or she can "address the reasonable needs" of passengers their vehicles are licensed to carry, with particular reference to people with mobility or other physical or sensory challenges.
This could mean drivers having to undergo training in first-aid and dealing with "patient handling" techniques for passengers with special needs.