A controversial scheme to rid the streets of taxis over nine years old has been revoked.
The National Transport Authority announced the U-turn on the seven-week rule for drivers who have had a taxi licence since before 2009.
But taxi unions warned it was too late for hundreds of drivers who, already struggling to make a living, were put off the road when the regulation came into force in the new year.
Tony Rowe, of the National Transport Assembly of Ireland, said the rule affected a lot of drivers whose cars were in pristine condition.
"The pivotal concern of any transport authority has to be the safety of the travelling public and drivers and this nine-year rule was meaningless," he said.
"Each taxi already underwent a stringent NCT and SGS (taxi suitability test) and those cars passed those tests regardless of their year. We are hoping those drivers will now be able to get back to work."
The NTA board, which took over taxi regulation on January 1, said it would revoke the rule while it carries out a review on vehicle standards in the taxi industry and holds consultations.
Transport Minister Pat Carey welcomed the decision and maintained Fianna Fáil would support the taxi industry if re-elected.
"Fianna Fáil will continue to work to bring about an immediate cap on the issuing of new taxi licences," he added.
Fine Gael's Simon Coveney claimed the last minute U-turn on taxis was a desperate vote-grabbing attempt.
"Fianna Fáil is famous for its vote-grabbing antics, but this takes the biscuit," said the party's transport spokesman.
"Pat Carey's decision to abandon the nine-year replacement rule for taxis, just a few days before election day, is obviously a desperate attempt to grab a few votes at the last minute."
Elsewhere Labour's Joe Costello called for the NTA to review the whole taxi industry and other controversial measures being implemented.
"The scheme was ill thought-out and would have meant that many taxi drivers would have lost their livelihoods as they would have been unable to gain access to the substantial credit required to replace an older vehicle in this current economic climate," said Mr Costello.
Green Party TD Trevor Sargeant said he had lobbied the taxi regulator to change the rule on a number of occasions.
"We were looking at a situation where taxi drivers have been forced to stop using a perfectly roadworthy vehicle simply because it was over nine years old," he said.
"Drivers and owners were effectively being encouraged not to maintain perfectly good cars because of their age, which makes no sense either from an economic or an environmental perspective."
PA