185. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider introducing free public calibration and sealing of taxi meters after prices are adjusted by the NTA, to avoid a situation in which a taxi driver must spend over €200 to get their taxi meter re-calibrated and then re-sealed as a consequence of changing prices. [46686/24]

The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Consolidated Taxi Regulation Act 2013 and 2016. I have no role in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV industry.

When new taxi fares are approved by the NTA, the most recent being the 9% increase on December 1st by way of the 2024 Maximum Fares Order, all taximeters require a fare programme update and verification. Programming of taxi meters is completed by a private installer chosen by the SPSV driver. No grant is available to cover the cost of installation and I have no plans to introduce such a grant.