302 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the reason a seven seat vehicle (details supplied) was approved to carry only four passengers following the national car test; the departmental guidelines covering such a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4515/02]

Under the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) Regulations, 1963, small public service vehicles are required, inter alia, to have at least four doors which are capable of being readily opened to a reasonable extent. This requirement is in place for the safety and convenience of passengers using the vehicle.

Accordingly, in line also with the general policy previously applied by the Garda Carriage Office, my Department has advised the NCTs that, in considering an application for a certificate of suitability for a vehicle, a determining factor should be that for every passenger seat there is clear access from that seat to a door without the need to move any seat. In the case of a vehicle where access to, or egress from, the back row of seats could not be achieved without breaching this criterion, such seats should not be reckoned for the purposes of the public service vehicle licence in respect of the vehicle.