§ Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the suitability of the height and design of the steps of the Volvo double deck buses to be leased on to the LBL, London General Bus subsidiary to provide adequate access for women with young children, the elderly and people with walking disabilities.
§ Mr. AtkinsBus design is generally a matter for bus operators. I understand that these buses comply with design standards laid down by London Regional Transport. The Department takes every opportunity to remind the bus industry of the special needs of elderly and disabled passengers. We recently launched a video which demonstrates the features recommended by the disabled persons transport advisory committee in its "Recommended Specification for Buses Used to Operate Local Services". The video is now available on free loan to local authorities and bus operators.
§ Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will instruct LRT to stop the further tendering of further bus routes to those companies which have failed to fulfil their contractual obligations in the past and had routes taken away from them as a consequence.
§ Mr. PortilloThe tendering of bus routes and the selection of contractors is a matter for London Regional Transport. I understand that, in assessing bids, it takes account of the operators' previous performance.
§ Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the proportion of LBL buses running late during the current year over previous years; and what steps he has taken to improve the quality of service to the public.
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§ Mr. PortilloStatistics for London Regional Transport's timetable bus services for the first three quarters of 1989 show that there was an 18 per cent. chance of a bus departing between five and 15 minutes late, and an 11.5 per cent. chance of a bus departing more than 15 minutes late or not arriving. This compares with 19.5 per cent. and 10.5 per cent. respectively for the same period in 1988. My right hon. Friend will shortly be setting quality of service objectives for LRT's bus and railway activities.
§ Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the numbers of accidents involving PSV vehicles in London in each of the last five years; and how many of these accidents involved buses with fewer than 24 seats.
§ Mr. PortilloThe number of accidents involving PSV vehicles in the Greater London area during the last five years is as follows. The seating capacity of buses in accidents is not recorded on the STATS 19 accident report form.
Year Number of accidents 1984 3,553 1985 3,326 1986 3,226 1987 2,920 1988 2,993
§ Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are being taken to regrade the designed construction of mini-midi buses to provide greater passenger safety.
§ Mr. AtkinsAll buses, including mini and midi-sized buses, are subject to construction regulations to ensure adequate passenger safety.
The European Commission has announced an intention to make a directive next year to cover the construction of buses, including coaches and minibuses. We have pressed, and shall continue to press, for that directive to contain provisions that set a high standard of safety. We are particularly concerned to ensure that seat belts of good quality, which are simple to use and have retractor mechanisms, are specified for all seats in minibuses and coaches.
We also want to see that steps and hand rails are specified which will make it easier for elderly people to get on and off buses safely.
I very much hope that manufacturers and operators will now voluntarily provide these simple and obvious safety features, without having to wait for legislation.