NTA has announced upcoming revisions to the current Area Knowledge module of the Small Public Service Vehicle (SPSV) Driver Entry Test, a key step in the licensing process for individuals applying to operate taxis, hackneys, or limousines in Ireland.
In undertaking this review, NTA engaged with recent SPSV driver applicants, booking service providers and passengers to ascertain the appropriate level of county knowledge a SPSV operator should have. The findings showed that, while passengers still expect drivers to have a higher-than-average understanding of local geography, the use of online maps is now widely accepted.
As a result, the updated Area Knowledge module will place less emphasis on memorising specific routes and street names and instead focus on knowing the popular and important locations. These include:
- Motorways
- Towns/ villages / neighbourhoods/ regions
- Tourist attractions/ landmarks
- Hospitals/ rapid clinic locations
- Third level institutions including ETBs
- Sports facilities
- Music & theatre venues
- Entertainment centres/ shopping centres
- Well known restaurants, bars and hotels
- Transport hubs (airport, train, bus)
- For urban centres: major street names, one-way systems and city routes
Questions on post offices, Garda stations, business campuses, road numbers (apart from Motorways), schools (apart from third level institutions), housing estates and county council buildings will no longer be asked. While there will be some questions on key street names and one-way systems for main urban areas, all other route questions will focus on travelling between towns and villages or neighbourhoods.
To support this update, the 8th edition of the SPSV Industry Manual, including updates to the ‘Finding Your Way Around’ chapter is available on NTA’s website, ahead of its introduction on 01 October 2025, giving applicants time to prepare. The current version (Edition 7.8) will remain available and valid for test preparation until that date.