Dublin taxi driver’s frustration as online system for wheelchair accessible vehicle grant closed by NRA

The NTA must immediately look at its technical systems as online applications for a grant available to taxi drivers towards the purchase of Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAV ) closed after just  fifteen minutes.

That’s according to Aontú leader, Deputy Peadar Tóibín who says “several disappointed and upset taxi drivers” contacted his office yesterday to voice their utter frustration with the situation.

“The WAV grant is worth €15,000 towards the purchase of wheelchair accessible vehicles which does help drivers buy their own cars,” Deputy Toibin said yesterday.

“However the NTA ( National Transport Authority)opened its application process online this morning (6^th January ) at 10 am and by 10.15am all the grants were gone.

“For all the grants to be allocated in just fifteen minutes is crazy, and means the current grant is incredibly limited and difficult to secure, currently only available to a tiny cohort of applicants.

“One man who contacted our office said he was online bang on 10 am and locked out by 10.15am.

“He now has to wait until July to try again.

A whole six months and no guarantee at all that he will be successful then and may have to wait a further six months and on it goes.

“This is totally unacceptable and is unfair”.

Deputy Tóibín said he finds the situation  “utterly bizarre.”

“The Government has asked the taxi industry to ensure more of its vehicles are accessible for people with disabilities and this is a fair request, but it seems bizarre that when drivers then try to  draw down a grant in order to try and buy accessible vehicles the grants are all gone,” he said.

“One taxi driver told me that he is renting a taxi for €300 a week and is understandably trying to buy his own taxi and the grant of €15,000 would have gone some way towards purchasing his own vehicle, which would come in at around €90,000”.

“In response to my question to the NRA, a Spokesperson from the NRA said there were no issues with its system but did acknowledge that its website was slowed down due to the large number of applicants applying as soon as it opened to online applicants at 10am.”

“I find this utterly bizarre and it is terribly unfortunate on the taxi drivers who were relying on this grant”.