Public Transport Act 2016
In short
This law updates and expands previous acts related to public transport, focusing on the functions of the National Transport Authority, taxi regulation, railway safety, and airport operations. It aims to improve the provision and regulation of public transport services and infrastructure.
What it regulates
- The functions of the National Transport Authority regarding public transport infrastructure.
- Amendments to the regulation of taxis and small public service vehicles.
- Changes to the name and functions of the Railway Safety Commission.
- Regulations concerning airports and road traffic.
Who it concerns
- The National Transport Authority and other public transport authorities.
- Operators and users of public passenger transport services, including taxis, buses, and railways.
Key points
- "Public transport infrastructure" now includes a broader range of facilities like railway, metro, light railway, bus infrastructure, rolling stock, buses, busways, cycleways, and interchange facilities.
- The National Transport Authority can secure and provide public transport infrastructure itself, including acquiring land by agreement or compulsory purchase.
- The Authority can make bye-laws for public passenger transport services (excluding rail passenger services) covering aspects like travel regulation, nuisance prevention, damage prevention, and safe custody of property.
- Before making bye-laws, the Authority must publish notice, allow for public inspection of drafts, and consider objections within a 30-day period.
Legal text
Public Transport Act 2016 Skip to content Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Gaeilge Léim go dtí an t-ábhar Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach English Gaeilge English Produced by the Office of the Attorney General Táirgthe ag Oifig an Ard-Aighne Home Legislation Acts of the Oireachtas Statutory Instruments Pre-1922 Legislation Constitution External Resources Bills (Houses of the Oireachtas) Iris Oifigiúil / Official Gazette Revised Acts (LRC) Classified List of Legislation (LRC) Translations (acts.
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- s)or rangeBliain nó blianta nó raon TypeCineál All Legislation Acts Statutory Instruments Advanced SearchCuardach Casta HomeBaile ActsAchtanna 2016 Public Transport Act 2016 Public Transport Act 2016 Permanent Page URL View by SectionAmharc de réir Ailt View Full ActAmharc ar an Acht Iomlán Bill History Stair Bille Commencement, Amendments, SIs made under the Act Tosach Feidhme, Leasuithe, IRí arna ndéanamh faoin Acht Open PDFOscail PDF Print Full ActPriontáil an tAcht Iomlán Number 3 of 2016 PUBLIC TRANSPORT ACT 2016 CONTENTS Section 1. Public transport infrastructure functions of National Transport Authority 2. Amendment of Taxi Regulation Act 2013 3. Fixed payment notice - small public service vehicles 4. Change of name of Railway Safety Commission to Commission for Railway Regulation 5. Bye-laws - light railway 6. Fixed payment notice - airports 7. Declaration - airport 8. Amendment of section 106 of Road Traffic Act 1961 9. COTIF to have force of law in State 10. Short title and collective citation Acts Referred to Airports and Aviation Acts 1936 to 2014 Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 (No. 15) Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 (No. 12) Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010 (No. 30) Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006 (No. 27) Public Transport Regulation Act 2009 (No. 37) Railway Safety Act 2005 (No. 31) Road Traffic Act 1961 (No. 24) Road Traffic Act 2002 (No. 12) Road Traffic Act 2014 (No. 3) Road Traffic Acts 1961 to 2014 Roads Act 1993 (No. 14) Roads Act 2007 (No. 34) State Airports (Shannon Group) Act 2014 (No. 27) State Airports Act 2004 (No. 32) Taxi Regulation Act 2013 (No. 37) Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001 (No. 55) Number 3 of 2016 PUBLIC TRANSPORT ACT 2016 An Act to amend and extend the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 , the Taxi Regulation Act 2013 and the Railway Safety Act 2005 , section 66 of the Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001 , to amend sections 27 and 27A of the State Airports Act 2004 and section 106 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 , to give the force of law to the Protocol of 3 June 1999 for the Modification of the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF) of 9 May 1980 (Protocol 1999) and to change the name of the Railway Safety Commission. [8 th February, 2016] Be it enacted by the Oireachtas as follows: Public transport infrastructure functions of National Transport Authority 1. The Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 is amended— (
- a)in section 2— (
- i)by substituting for the definition of “public transport infrastructure” the following: “ ‘public transport infrastructure’ means infrastructure constructed or provided, or proposed to be constructed or provided, in connection with the provision of public passenger transport services, which includes but is not limited to railway infrastructure, metro railway infrastructure, light railway infrastructure, bus infrastructure, rolling stock, buses, busways, bus lanes, bus garages, cycleways, cycle and pedestrian facilities, interchange facilities or such other class of infrastructure, facility, building or vehicle, whether of the same kind as the aforementioned or not, which the Authority has prescribed to be public transport infrastructure under section 44
- ii)in the definition of “public transport operator” (inserted by section 74 (a)(iii) of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013 ) by substituting for paragraph (
- e)the following: “(
- e)a person providing a public bus passenger service in accordance with a licence granted under the Act of 2009;”, and (iii) after the definition of “RPA” by inserting the following definition: “ ‘statutory body’ means a body established by or under statute;”, (
- b)in section 44— (
- i)in subsection
- a)by substituting for subparagraph (
- iv)the following: “(
- iv)other public transport infrastructure owned or under the control of a public transport authority, by that public transport authority.”, (
- ii)in subsection
- d)the following: “(
- e)The Authority may secure the provision of public transport infrastructure not referred to in paragraph (
- a)by such arrangements as it sees fit, including securing such provision itself or providing such public transport infrastructure itself.”, (iii) by substituting for subsection
- a)for the performance of a particular function otherwise than through a public transport authority or statutory body, or (
- b)the Authority is performing its function of securing the provision of public transport infrastructure in accordance with subsection
- i)the Authority shall be empowered (notwithstanding any other enactment) to perform the function, including the acquisition of land for that purpose, and to do any other thing which arises out of or is consequential on or is necessary for the purposes of or would facilitate the performance of the function, (
- ii)for the purpose of paragraph (
- a)or (b), land may be acquired by agreement or by means of a compulsory purchase order made by the Authority in accordance with Part XIV of the Act of 2000, (iii) the provisions of any enactment concerned apply in relation to the performance of the function subject to such modifications as may be necessary and as if the Authority was named in such enactment in each place where a public transport authority or other statutory body entitled to exercise the function is named, and (
- iv)any contract or agreement in writing made between the public transport authority or statutory body concerned and any other person which is not fully executed and completed shall continue in force but shall be construed and have effect as if the Authority was substituted therein for that public transport authority or statutory body.”, and (
- iv)by inserting after subsection
- a)a proposed road development (within the meaning of the Roads Act 1993 ) that has been approved by An Bord Pleanála under section 51 (as amended by section 9 of the Roads Act 2007 ) of that Act, or (
- b)a proposed development that has been approved by An Bord Pleanála— (
- i)under subsection
- a)the general regulation, subject to any statutory provisions in that behalf, of the travelling by way of or use of such means of transport services, (including a requirement to travel with a valid ticket or pass and the issue of such); (
- b)the prevention of the commission of nuisances in or upon such means of transport services; (
- c)the prevention of damage to such means of transport services; (
- d)the removal from or the prohibition of the use on such means of transport services of any vehicle or thing which is or may become a danger to life, health, the provision or the operation of public passenger transport services or would otherwise interfere with the proper provision or the operation of such transport services; (
- e)the safe custody and return or disposal of any property found on a vehicle or equipment used in the provision of public passenger transport services.
- a)the Authority shall, publish notice of the proposal— (
- i)on its website, and (
- ii)in at least 2 national newspapers circulating within the State or in the area to which the bye-laws relate, (
- b)the notice shall include— (
- i)a statement of the purposes for which the bye-laws are to be made, (
- ii)an intimation that— (I) a copy of the draft bye-laws is open for public inspection at the principal offices in the State of the Authority, and (II) the draft bye-laws are published on the Authority’s website, and (iii) an intimation that any person may submit to the Authority objections to the draft bye-laws at any time during the period of 30 days commencing on the date of the publication of the notice, (
- c)the Authority shall, during that period of 30 days, keep a copy of the draft bye-laws open for public inspection during ordinary office hours at its principal offices, and publish the draft on its website, (
- d)any person who objects to the draft bye-laws may submit his or her objection to the Authority in writing at any time during that period of 30 days and the Authority shall consider the objections, and (
- e)on the completion of that period of 30 days, the Authority shall as it thinks proper, refrain from making the bye-laws or make the bye- laws either without modification or with modification as it thinks proper.
- a)is contravening or has contravened or is failing or has failed to comply with a bye-law made under section 56A which is stated to be a penal provision, (
- b)is assaulting or has assaulted or is causing or has caused deliberate harm to another on a public passenger transport service to which section 56A applies, (
- c)is obstructing or has obstructed or is impeding or has impeded an authorised person exercising a function of an authorised person under this section or under any bye-laws made under section 56A, (
- d)on any public transport service to which section 56A applies is intoxicated or is committing or has committed an offence under section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 , or (
- e)if requested by an authorised person to cease such contravention or action or to so comply, fails to comply with the request, he or she may— (
- i)using such reasonable force as the circumstances require, remove or escort the person from the public passenger transport service or any part of it, (
- ii)in circumstances where the authorised person considers it to be justified, arrest the person without warrant, or (iii) require the person to give his or her name and address and, if the person fails or refuses to do so or gives a name that the authorised person reasonably suspects is false or misleading, arrest that person without warrant, and, if he or she is not a member of the Garda Síochána, deliver, as soon as practicable, the person, if arrested, into the custody of a member of the Garda Síochána to be dealt with according to law.
- a)the person is alleged to have committed the offence specified in the notice, (
- b)the person may, during the period of 21 days beginning on the date of the notice, make to the Authority at the address specified in the notice a payment of €100, or such other amount standing specified in regulations made by the Minister, accompanied by the notice, duly completed, (
- c)the person is not obliged to make the payment, and (
- d)a prosecution in respect of the alleged offence will not be instituted during the period specified in the notice under paragraph (
- b)and, if a payment specified in the notice is made during the period so specified, accompanied by the notice, duly completed, no prosecution in respect of the alleged offence will be instituted.
- a)the person to whom the notice applies may, during the period specified in the notice, make to the Authority at the address specified in the notice the payment specified in the notice, accompanied by the notice, duly completed, (
- b)the Authority may receive the payment, issue a receipt for it and retain the money so paid, and any payment so received shall not be recoverable in any circumstances by the person who made it, and (
- c)a prosecution in respect of the alleged offence to which the notice relates will not be instituted during the period specified in the notice, and, if the payment so specified is made during the period so specified, no prosecution in respect of the alleged offence will be instituted.
- a)in section 2— (
- i)by substituting for the definition of “dispatch operator” the following: “ ‘dispatch operator’ means a person who provides for reward— (
- a)a booking service for an intending passenger to contact him or her to arrange for the hire of, and carriage of the intending passenger in, a small public service vehicle operated or driven by another person (other than an employee of the first-mentioned person), or (
- b)a service allowing an intending passenger to arrange the hire of a small public service vehicle, but does not include a person employed by the first-mentioned person to take or manage the taking of bookings in the course of that service or a person marshalling in a public place (within the meaning of the Act of 1961) the services of small public service vehicles; ‘driving licence’ means a driving licence (within the meaning of the Act of 1961) which is for the time being in force;”, and (
- ii)by inserting after the definition of “licence” the following: “ ‘licence to drive a small public service vehicle’ means a licence to drive a small public service vehicle for the carriage of persons for reward;”, (
- b)in section 3
- i)by substituting for paragraph (
- c)the following: “(
- c)the requirement for a person to hold a licence to operate as a dispatch operator;”, (
- ii)by inserting after paragraph (
- f)the following: “(
- fa)the requirement that an application for the grant of a licence be accompanied by a written declaration by the applicant for the licence that he or she has not been convicted of any of the offences referred to in section 30
- fb)the requirement that an application for the grant of a licence to drive a small public service vehicle be accompanied by a written declaration by the applicant for the licence that— (
- i)his or her health or mobility does not affect, to a material extent or to the extent specified in the regulations, his or her ability to drive a small public service vehicle, and (
- ii)he or she holds a driving licence permitting him or her to drive the vehicle, accompanied by details of the licence and any penalty points endorsed on the entry in the licence record (within the meaning of section 1 of the Road Traffic Act 2002 ) relating to him or her; (
- fc)the requirement that an application for a licence in respect of a small public service vehicle be accompanied by a written declaration by the applicant for the licence as to the roadworthiness of the vehicle and the compliance with vehicle standards specified in SPSV regulations; (
- fd)the requirement that an application for the grant of a licence to drive a small public service vehicle be accompanied by a written undertaking by the applicant for the licence not to drive or ply for hire in a small public service vehicle in contravention of SPSV regulations made in respect of any matter provided for— (
- i)under section 20
- fe)in the case of a licence in respect of a small public service vehicle constructed or adapted for the carriage of a person with a disability using a wheelchair so that the person may be carried in the vehicle while seated in the wheelchair, the requirement that an application for the grant of the licence be accompanied by a written undertaking by the applicant to give, as far as is possible, priority to the carriage of a person with a physical or sensory disability which affects the mobility of the person and to ensure that the driver of such a vehicle gives reasonable assistance to these persons in entering and alighting from the vehicle;”, and (iii) in paragraph (l), by substituting “granted” for “issued”, (
- d)in section 8
- d)(i), by substituting “or the terms” for “the terms”, and (
- ii)by substituting for subsection
- a)has contravened the obligations applicable to such licence holder (whether or not the holder has been convicted of an offence in relation to the contravention), including the provisions of this Act, any regulations made thereunder or the terms or conditions of the licence, or (
- b)has— (
- i)failed or refused to provide information required by this Act, regulations under this Act or the terms or conditions of the licence, or (
- ii)supplied information that was false or misleading in a material particular which he or she knew or ought reasonably to have known to be so, but decides not to revoke the licence, it may, if it is satisfied it is appropriate to do so— (
- i)suspend the licence for a period not exceeding 3 months, or (
- ii)issue by notice to the holder of the licence a reprimand, warning, caution or advice.”, (
- h)in section 13, by inserting after subsection
- a)and (
- b)the following: “(
- a)the name of the holder; (
- b)the address and any change of address of the holder;”, and (
- ii)in subsection
- h)the following: “(
- h)to promote access to, the availability and affordability of, and priority in booking or hiring of, small public service vehicles by persons with disabilities;”, (
- m)in section 20
- a)— (
- i)in subparagraph (x), by substituting “on the driver” for “on the driver of”, (
- ii)by substituting for subparagraph (xii) the following: “(xii) the regulation of the period of time that a driver may drive the vehicle; (xiia) the requirement that intervals of rest be taken by a driver of the vehicle between the driver commencing driving the vehicle and ceasing to drive another vehicle in the course of his or her other employment;”, (
- n)in section 20
- j)— (
- i)by inserting after subparagraph (
- iv)the following: “(iva) the loading, unloading and carriage of the luggage of a passenger;”, and (
- ii)by inserting after subparagraph (
- vi)the following: “(via) methods of payment of fares;”, (
- o)in section 22 by substituting for subsections
- a)the vehicle is a taxi in respect of which there is a licence in force for that purpose, and (
- b)the person holds a licence to drive a taxi and to ply or stand for hire with a taxi in that public place.
- a)subparagraph (
- i)or (
- ii)of paragraph (
- a)or paragraph (
- b)of subsection
- b)paragraph (
- a)or (
- b)of subsection
- a)in relation to a conviction— (
- i)on indictment for a specified offence other than an offence referred to in subparagraph (ii), the Circuit Court, and (
- ii)for the offence of murder, manslaughter or rape, the Central Criminal Court, and (
- b)in the case of an offence referred to in subsection
- a)or a conviction for a corresponding offence” for “paragraph (
- a)”, and (III) in paragraph (ii), by substituting “paragraph (b), (c), (
- d)or (
- e)or a conviction for a corresponding offence,” for “paragraph (b), (c), (
- d)or (
- e)”, (
- t)in section 34, by inserting “to drive a small public service vehicle” after “holder of a licence”, (
- u)in section 35
- a)the following: “(
- a)section 37 of the Act of 2010 as specified in a notice under section 35 of that Act in respect of a fixed charge offence referred to in paragraph (
- c)(inserted by section 77
- v)in section 36— (
- i)by substituting for paragraph (
- a)the following: “(
- a)shall cause the demerits to be removed from the entry at the end of that period, and”, and (
- ii)in paragraph (b), by substituting for subparagraph (
- i)the following: “(
- i)of the ending of the period and its date, and”, (
- w)in section 39— (
- i)in subsection
- x)in section 42, by substituting “to that land or those premises” for “to those premises”, (
- y)in section 49, by deleting subsection
- a)that the person is alleged to have committed the offence specified in the notice, (
- b)that the person may, during the period of 28 days beginning on the date specified in the notice, make to the Authority at the address specified in the notice a payment of a prescribed amount accompanied by the notice, duly completed, (
- c)that if the person does not make the payment specified in paragraph (b), during the period so specified, accompanied by the notice, duly completed, the person may during the period of 28 days beginning on the expiration of that period, make a payment as specified in the notice of an amount 50 per cent greater than the prescribed amount referred to in paragraph (b), accompanied by the notice, duly completed, (
- d)if the alleged offence relates to a demerit offence (within the meaning of Part 5), that if the person on whom it is served makes a payment specified in the notice accompanied by the notice, duly completed, or is convicted of the offence concerned, different specified numbers of demerits will be endorsed on the SPSV licence record (within the meaning of Part 5) of the person, (
- e)that the person is not obliged to make the payment, and (
- f)that a prosecution in respect of the alleged offence will not be instituted during the periods specified in the notice under paragraphs (
- b)and (
- c)and, if a payment specified in the notice accompanied by the notice, duly completed, is made during the appropriate period so specified in relation to the payment, no prosecution in respect of the alleged offence will be instituted.
- a)the person to whom the notice applies may, during the period specified in the notice, make to the Authority at the address specified in the notice the payment specified in the notice at the appropriate time so specified in relation to the payment, accompanied by the notice, duly completed, (
- b)the Authority may receive the payment, issue a receipt for it and retain the money so paid, and any payment so received shall not be recoverable in any circumstances by the person who made it, (
- c)a prosecution in respect of the alleged offence to which the notice relates will not be instituted during the periods specified in the notice under paragraphs (
- b)and (
- c)of subsection
- a)the Railway Safety Commission, shall be construed as reference to the Commission for Railway Regulation, (
- b)An Coimisiún Sábháilteachta Iarnróid, shall be construed as reference to An Coimisiún um Rialáil Iarnróid, and (
- c)a Commissioner for Railway Safety, shall be construed as reference to a Commissioner for Railway Regulation.
- i)by substituting for paragraph (
- a)the following: “(
- a)the National Roads Authority or the undertaking, as the case may be, shall, publish notice of the proposal— (
- i)on its website, and (
- ii)in at least 2 national newspapers circulating within the State or in the area to which the bye-laws relate,”, and (
- ii)in paragraph (b), by substituting for subparagraph (
- ii)the following: “(
- ii)an intimation that— (I) a copy of the draft bye-laws is open for public inspection at the principal offices in the State of the National Roads Authority or the undertaking, as the case may be, and (II) that the draft bye-laws are published on the National Roads Authority’s or the undertaking’s, as the case may be, website, and”, and (
- b)by inserting after subsection
- b)the following: “(
- b)the person may make to the relevant company or the Minister, as the case may be, at the address specified in the notice a payment, accompanied by the notice, duly completed, of the relevant amount, during the period of 28 days beginning on the date of the notice, and”, (
- c)in subsection
- a)by substituting “accompanied by the notice, duly completed,” for “accompanied by the notice,”, and (
- d)in subsection
- c)the following: “(
- c)a prosecution in respect of the alleged offence will not be instituted during the period specified in the notice and, if the payment so specified in the notice accompanied by the notice, duly completed, is made during the period, no prosecution in respect of the alleged offence will be instituted.”. Declaration - airport 7. Section 27A (inserted by section 51 of the State Airports (Shannon Group) Act 2014 ) of the State Airports Act 2004 is amended in subsection
- a)of that section where the person in apparent control of the vehicle concerned allegedly leaves the vehicle or the vicinity of the vehicle,” after “relating to the parking of the vehicle at the airport”. Amendment of section 106 of Road Traffic Act 1961 8. The Road Traffic Act 1961 is amended— (
- a)in section 106
- i)by deleting “on summary conviction”, (
- ii)in paragraph (a), by inserting “on summary conviction,” after “injury is caused to person,”, and (iii) in paragraph (b), by inserting “on summary conviction,” after “in any other case,”, and (
- b)in section 26
- i)and in paragraph 12(
- a)of the Second Schedule, by substituting “paragraph (a), (
- aa)or (
- b)” for “paragraph (
- a)or (
- b)”. COTIF to have force of law in State 9.
- a)The Convention has the force of law in the State and judicial notice shall be taken of it. (
- b)Any question arising as to whether the Convention applies in the circumstances of a particular case falls to be determined in accordance with the provisions of Article 3