TRANPSORT – DoE: Environment Minister addresses nursery transport worries 27/06/08 [NI]
Environment Minister, Sammy Wilson, today confirmed a temporary exemption scheme is to be introduced for nursery schools while a review of transport services operated by them takes place.
The Minister has ordered an immediate review of the policy that nurseries and after-school clubs cannot transport children unless their vehicles and drivers have taxi licences. This is in the wake of recent Departmental guidance that some existing transport arrangements may be illegal and not properly insured.
The temporary exemption scheme will allow existing transport services to operate legally while the review takes place. In the meantime the Department of the Environment will continue to adopt a light touch to PSV enforcement with nurseries.
The Minister said: “I fully recognise the difficulties that have followed the recent realisation that some childcare providers may have been operating transport services in a way which did not meet all of the legal requirements. The anxiety that this has caused for nurseries and parents is regrettable. As soon as I came into office I asked my officials to work proactively with the childcare groups to find solutions to this issue.
The Department’s actions are as follows;
Firstly, a full policy review will be immediately carried out into how best to ensure that nursery transport meets appropriate road safety and other relevant standards;
Secondly, pending the outcome of that review, the Department intends to put in place a temporary exemption scheme to allow existing transport services to operate legally without the need to hold PSV licences.
It is expected that this scheme will involve individual exemptions for the owners of vehicles used by registered childcare providers. More information about how the exemption scheme will work, and how nurseries can apply, will be widely circulated as soon as it becomes available.
Notes for Editors:
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