All taxis in the State should be bright yellow, the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, has said.
Speaking at the publication of a report on improving taxi accessibility for the disabled, the Minister acknowledged the recommendation that all taxis have mandatory bright yellow livery.
Yellow is the colour most easily noticeable to the visually impaired.
"I've always been a strong supporter of a single colour nationally. If I needed another reason I've got it today. They [the authors of the report] recommend a bright yellow. I think that's a really good idea."
The report, Towards an Accessible Taxi Service for All, was written by six disability groups, including the Disability Federation of Ireland, the National Council for the Blind of Ireland and RehabCare.
It also recommends that all taxis comply with a minimum internal and boot size; that licence numbers be written in jumbo black numbers; that flooring be non-slip; that before any driver is granted a taxi licence they undergo training for dealing with disabled people and that supports be provided to the taxi industry to achieve these objectives.
Mr Olan McGowan, chairman of the Irish Wheelchair Association, said the report represented an "exciting opportunity" for taxis and taxi users to work in partnership to "revitalise the taxi industry itself". Mr Vinny Kearns, vice president of the National Taxi Drivers' Union, however, was critical of the report, predicting it would not be implemented.
"This is an issue close to my heart. I've been through it with my dad and I know the problems there are out there for people with disability looking for a taxi."
He said those who had written this report had not consulted with the industry, despite a claim that they had.
He added that the industry had in the past had positive meetings with disability groups but that the industry had initiated all these.
"I called on the Irish Wheelchair Association to be the training body for taxi-drivers when the first wheelchair accessible licence was issued in 1991 and to date there has been no training available for drivers."
He said he feared this report would "gather dust" like others, adding that the issue of wheel-chair accessibility and taxis has been live for 13 years.
Since deregulation the proportion of wheelchair accessible taxis had fallen, he said. "Unless they involve everyone including service users and service providers it isn't going to happen." He said that if all stakeholders worked together "this issue could be sorted in a matter of weeks".
On the issue of all taxis being a mandatory yellow, he said it would cost each driver about €5,000 to have their cars resprayed.
He added taxi use should be subsidised for the disabled given that many were almost dependent on taxis as their only means of transport. He doubted adequate funds would be provided to ensure implementation of the report.
Asked however whether finance would be made available, Mr Brennan said: "It will, yes."
He added: "This is probably the most exciting report that I have seen in regard to accessible taxi services.
"It's very authoritative with six of the major groups involved. We will all take this report extremely seriously."
The views of taxi-drivers "would be taken into account. But they won't be a blockage. They can't be a blockage".
