Date Published: 20/05/09
Welcome to the second issue of the Dispatch Operator Newsletter. Inside this issue you will find:
* Update on dispatch operators in Ireland
* Detailed information guide on the application process for a dispatch operator licence
* Detailed information guide on the SPSV Skills Development Programme
* Frequently Asked Questions
Dispatch Operator, Issue 2 Format: PDF
Dispatch Operator Issue 2 - text version
Dispatch
Operator
Newsletter
Dispatch Operator Newsletter Issue 2
May 2009
Issued by the Commission for Taxi Regulation
Issue 2 May 2009 1
Welcome to the second issue of
the dispatch operator newsletter.
Inside this issue:
• Detailed information guide on the application process for a dispatch operator licence
• Update on dispatch operators in Ireland
• Detailed information guide on the SPSV Skills Development Programme
• Frequently Asked Questions
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Dispatch
Operator
Newsletter
Update on dispatch
operators in Ireland
2 Issue 2 May 2009
Please find enclosed the following
documents:
Information guide on
dispatch operator licensing
From December 1st 2009 it will be a requirement for
dispatch operators to have a licence in order to operate.
As at May 1st 2009 there are 429 dispatch
operators registered with the Commission
for Taxi Regulation. 66% percent of registered
dispatch operators operate 10 vehicles or less
and only five 5% of dispatch operators have
more than 100 affiliated vehicles.
Table 1.1: Estimated Profile of dispatch operators
by Size, 2009
Number of Number of
vehicles dispatch
affiliated operators
1 to 5 220
6 to 10 67
11 to 15 24
16 to 20 22
21 to 50 53
51 to 100 20
Over 100 23
25% of dispatch operators operate in Dublin
and those operating in Cork, Galway and
Limerick together comprise a further 21%.
Table 1.2 Profile of dispatch operators by Area of
Operation, 2009
Operating Percentage of
area dispatch operators
Dublin 25%
Cork 14%
Galway 4%
Limerick 3%
Rest of country 54%
• Cover letter
• Vehicle licence holder information return
form (DO4)
• This form should be completed by each
vehicle licence holder affiliated to the
dispatch operator and kept on file at
the dispatch operator. It should be
available for inspection during an
on-site assessment
• Official Manual for the Skills Development
Programme
1. Application form (DO1)
2. Self Declaration of Compliance form
(DO2)
3. Consent form for Skills Development
Certificate holder (DO3)
• This form should be signed by the
person in the organisation who holds
the Skills Development Certificate,
consenting to the use of their certificate
as part of the dispatch operator’s
licence application
You will receive your application pack in the post shortly,
containing:
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Issue 2 May 2009 3
The process for dispatch operator
licensing is as follows:
1. A nominated person from the dispatch
operator sits and passes the Commission
Skills Development Test
2. The dispatch operator sends the following
documents to the Commission for Taxi
Regulation:
a. Application form (DO1)
b. Self Declaration of Compliance form
(DO2)
c. Consent form for Skills Development
Certificate holder (DO3)
d. Valid and original tax clearance certificate
in respect of the dispatch operator
e. Licence fee of €250
• Please enclose a cheque, bank draft
or postal order made payable to the
Commission for Taxi Regulation
• Alternatively you can enter your credit
or debit card details on the application
form and the amount will be debited
from your card
The Commission will conduct the initial
licensing process on a phased basis.
It is strongly recommended that you send in
your application on time, in order to ensure
that you are licensed by the December 1st
deadline.
• Phase 1 applications should be submitted
in July 2009
• Phase 2 applications should be submitted
in August 2009
• Phase 3 applications should be submitted
in September 2009
To find out which phase you have been
allocated to, please check your enclosed
cover letter. If you wish to be allocated to a
different phase, notify the Commission in
writing by July 1st 2009 and we will do our best
to accommodate your request.
3. A sample of dispatch operators will be
selected for an on-site assessment prior to
receiving their dispatch operator licence
and the remainder will be assessed at a
later date.
If the dispatch operator is found not to meet
the requirements of dispatch operator
licensing during a pre-licence on-site
assessment he/she will not receive a
dispatch operator licence and will have to
re-apply.
4. If the application is complete, all documents
are in order and, if an on-site assessment
took place, the dispatch operator was found
to meet all the requirements, a dispatch
operator licence certificate will be issued.
Please note: dispatch operators may be selected
for an on-site assessment at any time prior to or
after receiving their dispatch licence certificate.
No notice will be given of an on-site
assessment. Enforcement officers will visit the
dispatch operator during the ‘hours of
operation’ listed on the dispatch operator
application form. Dispatch operators should
not sign the Self Declaration of Compliance
form and submit a dispatch licence application
unless they meet all the licensing requirements
in full.
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4 Issue 2 May 2009
Dispatch
Operator
Newsletter
Information on the SPSV
Skills Development Test
The SPSV Skills Development Programme
From May 1st 2009, all new entrants to the
SPSV industry must complete the SPSV Skills
Development Programme and pass the SPSV
Skills Development Test. The Commission’s
Skills Development Programme is set out in
the Official Manual for Operating in the SPSV
Industry and the accompanying DVD. It is
designed to help those working in the SPSV
industry to develop the range of skills that
they will need to operate in the SPSV industry
on a day-to-day basis. In addition to the
content contained in the manual and DVD,
test applicants must prepare for the area
knowledge section. All applicants for a
dispatch operator licence must nominate an
individual from the company to complete the
programme and pass the SPSV Skills Development
Test. This person will then pass on his/her
knowledge to staff through the staff training
programme that is required to be in place.
Your copy of the Official Manual for
Operating in the SPSV Industry is
enclosed along with your dispatch
licence application pack.
The SPSV Skills Development Test
The SPSV Skills Development Test is
administered on behalf of the Commission by
Prometric Ireland Limited. Prometric Ireland has
over 40 test locations around the country, and
candidates can arrange to take their test at a
time and location that is most convenient for
them.
The test will be available from July 1st and
candidates can now book their test in one of
the following ways:
• Online at www.spsvtest.ie
• By phoning 1890 340 123
To book a test, candidates will need:
• Their contact details
• Their PPS number (formerly RSI number)
• Valid identification in the form of either a
full driving licence or a passport*
• The test fee, which can be paid by credit or
debit card, cheque or postal order**
At the test centre
The candidate’s identification will be checked
and their photograph will be taken. They must
bring with them their current driving licence
or passport, whichever they specified at time
of booking.
Once their identification and relevant
documentation have been verified, the
candidate will be taken to a workstation to
complete the test. The test will consist of 90
questions, in two sections. The first section
consists of 54 questions relating to the rules
and regulations of operating in the SPSV
industry, as set out in the manual and DVD.
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Issue 2 May 2009 5
* Note that those who wish to apply for an SPSV driver
licence must present their driving licence as
identification.
**If paying by cheque or postal order, your
payment must be accompanied by an
application form which can be downloaded
from www.spsvtest.ie
If a candidate has any special
requirements in relation to the test,
they must specify this at the time of
booking. For further information
please call 1890 340 123 or visit
www.spsvtest.ie
When the booking has been
processed, the candidate will be
notified by email or post of the
date, time and location of the
test and the necessary
documentation to bring to the
test centre.
They then choose the county in which they wish to be licensed and
proceed to the second section of the test, which consists of 36
questions relating to that area. The test will last approximately
1 hour 45 minutes in total.
The test is taken using a mouse or simple touch-screen computerised
system. All questions are multiple-choice based. Each question is
presented along with four alternative answers, only one of which is
correct. The candidate should select the answer they think is
correct by clicking on or touching their chosen option.
The test is scored automatically and results are made
available to the candidate immediately. If successful,
the candidate will receive an SPSV Skills
Development Certificate by post within two weeks.
Test
available
from
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6 Issue 2 May 2009
Section 1 Applicant Details
*Company Name
*Business type Sole trader Limited company
Partnership Other (please specify)
*Company Address 1
Company Address 2
Company Address 3
*County/Dublin 1-24
*Company Owner Name
*Company Owner phone number
*Main contact phone number
Mobile number
Email address
Website address
*Regular operational hours
Company registration number
(if applicable)
PPS number (if applicable)
Skills Development
Certificate Holder
*Name
*Position
*PPS number
*Skills Development Certificate
Number
Section 2 Vehicle Information
Number of company vehicles
Taxi 0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20
21-30 31-40 41-60 61-100
100-200 Over 200
Dispatch
Operator
Newsletter
Information on completing the dispatch operator
Licence Application Form
Tax clearance certificate
submitted must be in
respect of legal entity
specified here.
The main contact number entered
should be the number used by
members of the public to book a cab.
The company owner phone number
is requested so that the Commission
can contact the owner
directly. This phone number will
not be given to any third parties.
If the tax clearance certificate submitted
is in respect of the company
owner please enter the company
owner’s PPS number here.
If the tax clearance certificate
submitted is in respect of the
dispatch operator company
name please enter the company
registration number here.
*Fields marked with an asterisk
must be completed or it will not
be possible to process your
application.
The number of company
vehicles refers to the
number of vehicles owned
and operated by the
dispatch operator.
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Issue 2 May 2009 7
Hackney 0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20
21-30 31-40 41-60 61-100
100-200 Over 200
Wheelchair Accessible Taxi 0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20
21-30 31-40 41-60 61-100
100-200 Over 200
Limousine 0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20
21-30 31-40 41-60 61-100
100-200 Over 200
Number of affiliated vehicles
Taxi 0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20
21-30 31-40 41-60 61-100
100-200 Over 200
Hackney 0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20
21-30 31-40 41-60 61-100
100-200 Over 200
Wheelchair Accessible Taxi 0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20
21-30 31-40 41-60 61-100
100-200 Over 200
Limousine 0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20
21-30 31-40 41-60 61-100
100-200 Over 200
Section 3 Staff and Driver
Information
Number of affiliated drivers 0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20
21-30 31-40 41-60 61-100
100-200 Over 200
Number of staff drivers 0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20
21-30 31-40 41-60 61-100
100-200 Over 200
Number of non-driver staff 0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20
21-30 31-40 41-60 61-100
100-200 Over 200
Section 4 Areas of Operation
Carlow Cavan Clare Cork city Cork county
Donegal Dublin Galway city Galway county
Kildare Kilkenny Kerry Laois Leitrim
Limerick city Limerick county Longford Louth
Mayo Meath Monaghan Offaly Roscommon
Sligo Tipperary North Tipperary South Waterford
Westmeath Wexford Wicklow
The number of affiliated
vehicles refers to the
number of vehicles which
are not directly owned by
the dispatch operator.
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Section 5 Payment
Payment method – please tick:
I enclose a cheque, bank draft or postal order to the value of €250
made payable to the Commission for Taxi Regulation
Please debit my card by €250
Card details
Name on card:
Card number:
Card expiry date: /
Signature of card holder:
Section 6 Checklist
Please do not submit this application form unless the following are in
place. The requirements listed below are necessary to pass an on-site
assessment.
• At least four months booking records in place
• A complaints process in place
• A staff training plan in place
• An SPSV Skills Development Certificate holder
• Up-to-date driver and vehicle licence records on file
• A booking system in place that is accessible to people
with disabilities
Please remember to enclose the following documents
with this application form:
• A valid and original tax clearance certificate in respect
of the dispatch operator as a company or in respect
of the company owner
• A self-declaration of compliance form
• A consent form from the Skills Development
Certificate holder
• A licence fee of €250
8 Issue 2 May 2009
Dispatch
Operator
Newsletter
The dispatch operator must
provide one or more of the
following booking options for
people with disabilities: fax,
e-mail, SMS text message.
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Issue 2 May 2009 9
Information on completing the Self-Declaration
of Compliance Form
Booking system
Computer system in place
Manual system in place
Phone
Fax
Email
SMS Text
Outline efforts made to pick customers up on time
Is each booking tracked so the dispatch operator is aware of
whether the customer has been picked up and dropped off
at the correct destination in a timely manner?
In the event that the driver will be late is the customer
always informed of this immediately?
Are records kept of all bookings for at least six months?
At present are there booking records for the past four months?
Services for people with disabilities
Outline the ways in which you try to provide a priority
service to people with disabilities?
Are the following records kept on all affiliated
drivers and vehicles?
Copy of SPSV Driver Licence
Copy of Vehicle (SPSV) Licence
Copy of all Insurance Details
Are records all in date and updated regularly?
Is there a system in place for the updating
of records?
Staff Training
Is there as staff training plan in place?
Have staff received training in the following areas:
Fare Structure
Customer complaints
Customer care
Assisting people with disabilities/special needs
Complaints system
Is there a complaints procedure in place?
Are records of all complaints kept?
Are all complaints dealt with in an efficient and timely
manner?
What action is taken if a customer is overcharged?
What action is taken if the driver does not pick the
customer up?
What action is taken if a driver is rude to a customer?
Dispatch operators must keep
records of any complaints for
at least six months and have a
formal complaints process in
place before submitting a
dispatch operator licence
application. All staff must be
aware of the complaints
process in place.
Dispatch operators must have a
staff training plan in place before
submitting an application for a
dispatch operator licence.
Dispatch operators must keep up-to-date
driver and vehicle records in respect of
all drivers and vehicles in use by or
affiliated to the dispatch operator.
Before applicants submit a dispatch
operator licence application they
must have at least four months of
booking records in place.
If you are unable to provide a
service to people with disabilities
please state so and give the reasons.
The information provided in
response to this question will assist
the Commission in further policy
development. A wheelchair accessible
service is not a requirement of the
dispatch operator licence.
All booking records must be
kept for at least six months.
Applicants must have high customer
service standards in place.
Applicants must have a minimum of
one of fax, e-mail or SMS text booking
facilities in place.
All applicants must have phone
booking facilities in place.
All applicants must have either a
manual or computerised booking
system in place.
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FAQs
10 Issue 2 May 2009
Dispatch
Operator
Newsletter
Q: Which area knowledge modules is the
nominated person from the dispatch operator
required to take?
A: Each dispatch operator is required to sit or
arrange for another staff member to sit the
area knowledge modules for each area
(county) in which one or more of the
following conditions apply:
- A booking service is advertised locally by
the dispatch operator and/or a local
phone number is provided for bookings
- A public base is located in that area
- Affiliated SPSV operators are licensed and
accepting dispatched bookings for that
area
This requirement is in place to ensure that all
dispatch operators can fully assist in
dispatching calls and in dealing with any
queries or complaints which may arise in
relation to local area knowledge. While GPS
systems are a valuable tool in providing an
excellent SPSV service to consumers, a good
working knowledge of the areas of operation
by staff within the organisation is also
essential. The conditions listed above allow
for the exclusion of once-off or infrequent
bookings in areas that are not within the
dispatch operator’s usual areas of operation.
Q: Why does the dispatch operator need to keep
detailed driver and vehicle records on file?
A: 1. Dispatch operators must ensure that any
SPSV driver who operates a vehicle
equipped with a radio supplied by that
operator holds a current SPSV driver licence.
2. It is the dispatch operator's responsibility
to ensure that all vehicles affiliated to
them are insured and licensed as small
public service vehicles.
3. It is also their responsibility to ensure that
the insurance certificate associated with
each vehicle covers all drivers who use that
vehicle as an SPSV.
4. A photocopy (or scanned copy) of the
documents below must be kept on file to
allow inspection by the Commission’s
enforcement officers or other authorised
officers under the Taxi Regulation Act 2003:
- SPSV Driver Licence
- Vehicle (SPSV) Licence
- SPSV Insurance Certificate
5. If an affiliated vehicle is in use by more
than one SPSV operator, the vehicle licence
holder is required to have all relevant
licence and insurance information for
those operators (as in point 4 above). It is
the responsibility of the dispatch operator to
request all of these details from the vehicle
licence holder and to provide the vehicle
licence holder with a DO4 form to complete.
The dispatch operator is required to keep
this form on file along with all relevant
attachments. It is the responsibility of the
vehicle licence holder to complete this DO4
form and to provide all licence and
insurance details. By signing this DO4 form,
the vehicle licence holder undertakes to
inform the dispatch operator of any changes
in respect of this documentation or the SPSV
operators who use the vehicle.
Please see S.I. No 233 of 2008 on
www.taxiregulator.ie for further information
on the requirements for vehicle licence holders
who rent/lease/employ or allow another SPSV
operator to operate their vehicle.
Q: What exactly should a staff training plan
include?
A: A staff training plan should include planned
training in each module for all base operators.
Staff training records must be kept in respect of
all training. A full sample staff training plan
and one sample staff training record is shown
below.
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Issue 2 May 2009 11
Sample Staff Training Plan
Module name Scheduled Trainer Time Base operators
training date to attend
Fare structure 19/06/2009 Sarah McArdle 09:00:00 Joan Smith
Emily Jones
John Kehoe
Customer complaints 19/06/2009 Sarah McArdle 14:00:00 Joan Smith
Emily Jones
John Kehoe
Customer care 25/06/2009 Sarah McArdle 09:00:00 Joan Smith
Emily Jones
John Kehoe
Assisting persons
with disabilities 25/06/2009 Sarah McArdle 14:00:00 Joan Smith
Emily Jones
John Kehoe
Fare structure 11/07/2009 Sarah McArdle 09:00:00 Joe McBride
Mary Murray
Customer complaints 11/07/2009 Sarah McArdle 14:00:00 Joe McBride
Mary Murray
Customer care 17/07/2009 Sarah McArdle 09:00:00 Joe McBride
Mary Murray
Assisting persons
with disabilities 17/07/2009 Sarah McArdle 14:00:00 Joe McBride
Mary Murray
Module name Training Trainer Time Base operators
date that attended
Fare structure 19/06/2009 Sarah McArdle 09.30-11.45 Joan Smith
John Kehoe
Base operator name Customer care Customer Fare structure Assisting persons
complaints with disabilities
Joan Smith
Emily Jones
John Kehoe
Joe McBride
Mary Murray
Sample Staff Training Record
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Further information is available on the
Commission’s website www.taxiregulator.ie
or by contacting the Commission at:
Commission for Taxi Regulation
35 Fitzwilliam Square
Dublin 2
Lo-call Industry Line
1890 347 347
Published by the Commission for Taxi Regulation.
© Commission for Taxi Regulation. All rights
reserved. No part of this document may be copied,
transmitted or reproduced in any form or by any
means without prior written consent of the
copyright owner.
The Taxi Regulator brand mark may not be used or
reproduced by any third party without the owner’s
written consent.
Notice:
This publication is not a legal document and
does not purport to be a legal interpretation
of the relevant legislation.
Further information
Design: DesignLab
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