Mr. Andy Stewartasked the Secretary of State for Transport what change there has been in the accident rate involving buses since bus deregulation.
§ Mr. David MitchellProvisional figures for the first six months of deregulation, October 1986 to March 1987, 613W indicate a fall in bus occupant casualties over the country as a whole of 7 per cent. compared with the same period a year ago. However, because bus accidents are comparatively rare, a very few additional accidents, from whatever cause, can lend the statistics a misleading appearance. It can be especially misleading to attempt to relate movements in accident statistics involving buses to particular events in relatively small areas, as has recently been attempted in West Yorkshire.