Tour guide fined in court after NTA finds unlicensed tour transport at Sliabh Liag

A tour operator who was found operating without the necessary licence to carry people in her vehicle has been fined in court.

Rachel Nolan was at the Sliabh Liag cliffs in Donegal when an inspector from the National Transport Authority found her in contravention of the Taxi Regulation Acts.

At Glenties District Court, Ms Nolan, who runs Rachel’s Irish Adventures, said she was unaware of the requirement. 

Solicitor Mr Michael MacCarthy from Coughlan White & Partners, for the National Transport Authority, told the court that there is a requirement for small public service vehicles to be licensed and also for the driver to be licensed. 

Ms Nolan, of Quay road, Ballina, Co Mayo, was charged that she did drive a mechanically propelled vehicle for the carriage of persons for reward, such vehicle not being a small public service vehicle licensed under licensing regulations, contrary to section 22 (2) (a) (i) of the Taxi Regulation Acts 2023 and 2016, and that she did commit an offence under section 22 (4) of the Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016.

Ms Nolan was also charged that she did drive a mechanically propelled vehicle for the carriage of persons for reward without holding a licence to drive a small public service vehicle, contrary to section 22 (2) (b) of the Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. 

An inspector from the National Transport Authority gave evidence of witnessing Ms Nolan driving a vehicle with several people on board who were on a tour on June 12, 2025.

He said he cautioned Ms Nolan at the time and she accepted the matter.

The inspector told the court that Ms Nolan was not receiving money directly for the transport and it was a situation where it was a “benefit in kind”.

“If she wasn’t providing the transport, she may not get the tour so the transport was considered that she was operating for a higher reward,” he said. He added that she was required to be licensed and the vehicle was also required to be licensed.

“I believe this was more ignorance - and I don’t mean that in a bad way - of the regulations,” the inspector said. He confirmed that Ms Nolan had not come to his notice since. 

The court heard that Ms Nolan has no previous convictions.

Ms Nolan addressed the court and said she has got her licence and passed an industrial test.

She said the incident was down to “my ignorance”. 

“I didn’t realise that I was a limo or a taxi,” she told Judge Emile Daly. “I have got my licence now. I am a one-woman operation out of my mum’s B&B. I have been doing this for 10 years now and this is the first I have heard of this.”

Judge Daly fined Ms Nolan €200 in respect of each offence and costs of €200 on each offence were also awarded.